The Way You Love Me
by Leigh-Anne G
Summary: Human AU ,Rarity/Big Mac shipping.Rarity has had a crush on a certain farmer since she was a teenager. When a stalker threatens her life - and her livelihood - will they have the chance to act on their feelings? Or will disaster strike too soon?
1. Chapter 1

**So lately I've become kind of obsessed with "My Little Pony". I absolutely adore Rarity, and this idea has been bouncing around in my head for a few days. Everyone is human in this fic because...well, it's just easier to write them that way. And there may be some sexual themes later. But I tried to stay as true to the characters as possible... Enjoy! Oh and yea, I don't own MLP, yadda yadda :)**

"Oh, Rarity! It's absolutely perfect." Twilight Sparkle emerged from a dressing room, twirling and admiring her reflection in the various mirrors placed strategically around the Carousel Boutique.

Rarity stepped back and admired her work. The cocktail length gown was a deep purple, sculpted from a unique fabric that shimmered as it moved. The design was a classic one-shouldered look, with a subtle flare in the skirt. It clung lovingly to Twilight's curves, but still managed to be modest enough for the beautiful bookworm's tastes.

"I'm so happy you like it, Twi. I was worried about the neckline, but you wear the asymmetrical look beautifully. They won't be able to take their eyes off of you!" Rarity continued to chat as she fussed with the hemline. "What charity is this event for again?"

"We're raising money to send books to children in the poorer areas of the country and increase literacy among the poor. Can you believe that some of the high school graduates in certain areas can't read above a third grade level? It's absolutely criminal!"

Rarity couldn't help but grin at her friend's impassioned speech. "I think it's a wonderful cause, my dear. And I predict that everyone will be so hypnotized by you, that they'll just be handing you blank checks!" Rarity stood and hugged her closest friend. "Now, don't forget to be here by three tomorrow so we can get your hair and makeup done."

"Rarity, you're my hero. I don't know what I would have done without you." Twilight glanced at her watch and let out a short, distressed squeal. "Oh man, I'm so behind! I have to get going so I can finish up the rest of the preparations for tomorrow." Pausing to quickly hug Rarity again, she dashed back into the dressing room.

Just as Twilight pulled the curtain shut behind her, the front door of the Boutique chimed. Knowing Twilight would tidy up after herself, Rarity left to see to her next customer. Coming around the corner, she spotted him before he noticed she was there. Rarity felt her heart leap to her throat and the tug of desire in her belly. Tall and tan, with lean, sinewy muscles, Big Macintosh was relaxing against the front counter of her shop. Rarity froze and fleetingly entertained thoughts of hiding in her back room until he left. _Get a hold of yourself, woman. He's just a man...you can handle men. Now, take a deep breath, put that dazzling smile on your face and go take care of your customer!_

Doing exactly that, Rarity stepped forward, out of the shadows. "Good afternoon, Big Mac. To what do I owe the pleasure?" _There. That wasn't so hard, you nitwit._

Big Mac turned and smiled his usual slow, sexy smile. Unbidden, the image came to Rarity's mind of that mouth pressed against hers in a slow, leisurely kiss. And then tracing her collarbone, down to her -

"Applejack sent me over with some stuff that needs mendin' up. Granny Smith's arthritis is actin' up again," he drawled, snapping her back to reality.

Grateful for the distraction from her wayward thoughts, Rarity reached out to accept the bag of clothes, but Big Mac moved the bag out of her grasp. "Bag's kinda heavy, Miss Rarity. Got somewhere I can put it for ya?"

Rarity blushed at his thoughtfulness. "Of course, thank you. You can follow me." Turning, she led the way to the back room.

Big Mac let out a small sigh of relief as he followed the shopkeeper down a short hallway. He'd managed to have a full conversation without stuttering once. It was a problem he'd had since childhood, and being around Rarity had always made it more pronounced. For him, today was a huge victory.

As he followed her to the back room, Mac allowed his eyes to travel down her form, mentally noting every detail he noticed. How her shoulders were so slight and her arms so delicate as they swung by her sides. How the thin material of her sundress moved with her hips as they swayed with her walk. How even her feet were nothing less than perfect, showcased in the strappy heels she'd chosen that day. For years he'd been catching glimpses of her either during her rare visits to see his sister at the farm, or his even rarer trips into town. He'd never had the opportunity to simply watch her this way, and he meant to make the best of it while it lasted.

"You can just put it down over there, thank you," Rarity instructed, pointing to a corner of the room by a large sewing machine. Big Mac silently complied, setting the bag down. Not yet ready to leave, he took his time looking around the large, open area, racking his brain for another topic of conversation. Just as he was about to give up, he noticed a bucket on the floor half full of water. Following the dripping water, he noticed a crack in the ceiling.

"Miss Rarity, how long's your ceilin' been leakin like that?" he asked, pronouncing each word carefully and slowly.

Confused, Rarity followed his line of sight to the crack and sighed. "It's been like that for _weeks_ now, and the landlord keeps putting me off! I've tried everything I can to get him out here to fix it and he always has an excuse!"

"Well, iffin you don't mind, I could fix it up for ya," Big Mac offered, careful not to betray how much he wanted her answer to be yes.

For her part, it took everything Rarity had not to jump for joy at his offer. Instead, she settled for smiling brilliantly as she gushed, "Oh, could you? That would be simply wonderful, Big Mac! I'd pay you, of course." When Big Mac shook his head in the negative, she persisted. I couldn't let you do all that work for nothing. You must let me pay you," she said firmly.

Big Mac pushed away the growing irritation. She certainly was a stubborn woman. Here he was, trying to do her a favor and she couldn't leave well enough alone. There was no way in tarnation he was taking her money, and he started to say so when he had an idea. "Well... Apple Bloom's birthday is coming up in a few weeks. Perhaps you could make her up a party dress or some such?"

Big Mac couldn't help but grin when her eyes lit up with pure delight. "Of course I can! Do you know what her favorite color is? Oh, never mind, I know just the thing! Do you want to send her over sometime this week, or would you rather it be a surprise?"

"Well, I reckon it would be nice if we could surprise the lil' gal."

"Certainly! I'll have Sweetie Bell come by one day this week, I believe they're about the same size." Rarity absentmindedly rested a hand on his chest as she assured him, "It will be perfect, I promise."

Big Mac froze at her touch. He stared down at the dainty hand resting against his flannel covered chest and imagined how it would feel stroking the skin beneath. So stunned was he by her touch that he forgot to breathe.

Suddenly realizing where her hand was, Rarity snatched it away as though she'd been burned. "I...well...is that all?" she stammered, blushing furiously.

Big Mac reminded himself to breathe. "Ee-yup. I'll – ah – c-c-come by t-t-t-omorrow, Miss R-r-r-arity," he stuttered, before turning and quickly fleeing the shop.

"Rarity, you're an absolute dunderhead," she chided herself, throwing herself onto the large couch. "Acting as though you'd never touched a man before. You'll be lucky if he _does_ come back tomorrow...or if you ever see him in your shop again, for that matter!" Always the dramatic, she threw her arm over her face and simply lay there for awhile.

"Rarity, I – Rarity!" Twilight rushed over the couch, kneeling next to her friend. "Are you ok? What's wrong?" she asked, panic seeping into her voice.

Rarity didn't move from her pose on the couch. "Nothing darling. Nothing other than making an absolute _fool_ out of myself in front of -" she stopped, realizing she was about to spill the beans about something she'd never told another living soul. Well, other than her cat, Opal.

Panic gave way to relief, which was quickly replaced by curiosity. "In front of who?" Twilight asked.

Rarity moved her arm just enough to study the woman who had become her closest, dearest friend. "You promise you won't tell anyone if I tell you?"

"Cross my heart," Twilight smiled. "I'm sure you'll feel better if you just tell someone."

Rarity sat up and Twilight joined her on the couch, wrapping a supportive arm around her shoulders. It was a long moment before Rarity spoke again. "When I was in school, there was this boy. He was two years ahead of me, and he was an absolute dream." Rarity sighed at the childhood memories. "Tall, tan, rugged, captain of the football team. But of course he never noticed me. I was just one of his little sister's friends. And we – his sister and I – were never even that close, so it wasn't like we saw a lot of each other. He's not even my type, Twilight. I prefer my men clean and rich, as you well know. I haven't a clue why I've never gotten past this obsession with Big Mac. It's rather -"

"Big Mac?" exclaimed Twilight. "As in, Apple Jack's older brother?" Twilight was staring at her, mouth agape in surprise.

Color flooded Rarity's cheeks as she shoved off the couch and began pacing the room. "This is why I've never told anyone! It's an absolutely ridiculous, childish crush that I should have gotten over a long time ago. I knew no one would understand."

"Rarity...I'm sorry." Twilight stood and embraced her frazzled friend. "I'm not making fun of you, I promise. It's just...what you said was right, he's not the type you usually go for. I mean, from a prince to Mr. Down-to-Earth himself? I was just surprised."

Rarity clung to Twilight as though she were drowning and Twilight was the only thing keeping her head above the water. "Thank you, Twilight. I knew I could count on you to be level-headed about this whole business. I don't know _what_ I'm going to do with myself when he comes back tomorrow."

"Why is he coming back?" Twilight asked, confused.

Rarity sighed and returned to the couch. "He offered to fix the crack in my ceiling," she replied, waving to the offending crevice.

"Rarity...don't take this the wrong way, but haven't you – ah – 'handled' men before this?"

"Of course I have, darling. But none of them have ever affected me the way Big Mac does. When he's around, my brain simply turns to mush and I can't think of a single thing to say to the man. Besides that, we have nothing in common. How does one have a conversation with someone when they have nothing in common?" she pouted.

Twilight smirked. "Well, we all seem to manage just fine," she replied, referring to the group of six friends who spent most of their free time together. "You and Apple Jack couldn't be more different, not to mention Rainbow Dash and Flutter Shy. And yet, we all get along find and never seem to run out things to talk about. Why don't you start with just asking him how things are down at the farm and see where it goes from there?"

"Well...I suppose you have a point. I'm sure I can find something for the two of us to discuss while he's here." Rarity smiled weakly at the thought.

Twilight laughed and pulled her friend up and into a hug. "Who would have thought that you'd ever be coming to me for advice on how to talk to a man?" The two women laughed together before Twilight remembered she had a million places to be and – finally – left the dress shop.


	2. Chapter 2

Later that evening, Rarity closed up shop and walked over to the library, where she was supposed to meet Twilight before meeting the rest of the girls at Sugarcube Corner. When she entered the library, however, Twilight was nowhere to be seen. Instead, she found the vivacious, pink haired apprentice of Sugarcube Corner, Pinkie Pie. And with her, and entire herd of small children.

"Rarity! If you're looking for Twilight, she's not back yet. But you're just in time for story time. Today it's the story of 'How Equestria was Made'. Do you want to join us while you wait for Twilight?" This was all said without Pinkie stopping to take a single breath. Rarity mentally shook her head at her friend's enthusiasm.

"I think that sounds splendid," she replied, pulling up a chair behind the children. She had, of course, heard the story hundreds of times growing up but it was still a tale she never seemed to tire of. Within seconds of sitting, a young girl who seemed to be no older than four or five, climbed up onto her lap. The girl stared up at her with wide, blue eyes and proclaimed, "You're pretty."

Rarity blushed and smiled down at the girl. "Thank you, darling. You are quite beautiful yourself." Grinning, the girl snuggled down on Rarity's lap, seemingly content to stay there for the duration of story time. Rarity swallowed the lump in her throat as the old, familiar longing welled up within her. Imagining, just for a moment, that the child was her own daughter, she wrapped her arms around the girl.

"Before there was time, there was light and there was dark," Pinkie's voice took on a melodic, magical quality as she began the familiar tale. "The two who ruled light and dark were sisters, goddesses tasked with keeping a sacred balance within the universe. Over time, the two sisters became lonely, and so they asked their father, maker of all things, to create for them a world which they could fill with their own creations and rule together. Their father agreed and formed a world in which his daughters' creations could live and work, play and love.

Before the father allowed his daughters to accept their gift, he reminded them of their respective duties to light and dark. He showed them the symbols of their power and explained that each must rise and set in turn, so as to maintain the balance of light and dark within their world. The daughters agreed and so the father gifted them with their world.

The daughters rejoiced over their gift and quickly set to work creating many creatures to inhabit the world. They spread them out over all the lands, carefully making sure that each creature suited the part of the world they would inhabit. For many thousands of years, they enjoyed the company of their many different creations. But after awhile, they began to grow lonely again and contemplated how they could make their world more interesting. After many days and nights of discussing what could be done, the daughters decided to create a race made in their own image.

This was a painstaking task, as the daughters wanted this to be their most wondrous creation yet. The dark sculpted two forms from clay – male and female, while the light infused the creations with knowledge and emotion. When the creations were fully formed, the two goddesses focused their magic and gifted the creatures with something no other creation could claim – souls. When they were finished, they rejoiced over their triumph, and spent many days getting to know their newest creations and creating many more just like them to inhabit the world, and they called them man and woman.

But when they began to move these newest creations to different parts of the world, the creations cried out in sorrow at the idea of being separated from each other.

'Your majesties!' they cried, 'Your world is so big and our legs are not very long or powerful. If you separate us, how will we ever see one another again?'

The goddesses had not realized that in giving this newest creation such capacity for love, they had also given them a great capacity for pain as well. The two sisters pondered this dilemma for quite some time before finding a solution. They formed a creature tall and powerful enough to carry even the strongest man, with long legs that would cover ten times as much ground as the fastest man in a day. For the women, they gave the creature an elegant form, so that even the most beautiful among them would be proud to ride such a majestic animal.

The sisters called this animal a "horse" and presented it to their people. When they saw the horse, the people danced and sang for joy, praising the sisters for their love and generosity. When the time came for the people to be separated and scattered across the world, they waved goodbye cheerfully, knowing that they would never be separated for long thanks to this gift from their creators.

And it is because of this gift that the world became known as 'Equestria', so that the people would forever remember the gift that had been so graciously bestowed upon them by the two sisters. So that they would hear the name and recall this story and realize how truly loved and blessed they were."

Pinkie Pie giggled and clapped her hands enthusiastically. "And that, children, is how Equestria was made!" The children all cheered and clapped their hands as well. Rarity found herself applauding along with them. She had always loved that story, but after having met the two goddesses (whom, in the years following the creation story had taken on the mantle of Princesses) the story resonated even more deeply within her.

So caught up in the magic of the story was she, that it took a moment for Rarity to register a small hand gently tugging at the sleeve of her dress. Surprised, she looked down at the child she'd forgotten she was holding. The girl was looking up at her with wide, wonder filled eyes.

"Do you think the story is true?" the girl whispered, her voice filled with awe at the idea.

Rarity smiled and bowed her head, whispering in return. "I don't just think it is. I absolutely know it's true. Someday, if you stay true to your heart, you'll be able to find out for yourself."

The girl gasped and hugged Rarity tightly, before jumping down and running toward a group of girls who all looked to be about the same age. From the excited look on her face and the animated waving of her hands, Rarity guessed that she was relaying the message to her friends. Rarity sat for a moment, watching wistfully as the friends ran off together.

"Cute at that age, ain't they?" a familiar voice drawled from behind her, amusement lacing his voice.

Rarity stiffened and slowly turned to see Big Mac standing almost directly behind her, a small smile playing on his lips as he watched the children play.

"Ah, yes, they certainly are." Flustered, Rarity looked for a way to tactfully excuse herself. _Never see the man more than once every few months and now he shows up twice in one day?_ She grumbled mentally. She had just gotten settled from the episode in her shop and now here he was again.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. As soon as the question left her mouth, she could have kicked herself. She hadn't meant to sound so rude, but her usual composure was beginning to fray at the seams.

Big Mac cocked an eyebrow, as if unsure of how to take her question. Before he could answer, a small blond child wearing a pair of well worn overalls and an oversized bow in her hair launched herself into his arms.

"Big Mac!" she squealed, hugging his neck tightly. "Did you hear the story? Miss Pinkie told us about how 'Ques-tri-a was made." Rarity smiled as the girl stumbled over "Equestria"; she was absolutely adorable.

Big Mac grinned and tickled the girl, who in turn squealed with laughter. "I did hear it. It was a good one, huh?" Turning, he gestured to Rarity. "Apple Bloom, you remember Miss Rarity, don't you? She's one of Apple Jack's friends from school."

Apple Bloom nodded. "I remember her. She always fusses at Apple Jack about dressin' pretty and sometimes she makes funny faces when you walk by."

Rarity's eyes flew open in horror and a small, strangled sound escaped her throat. A grin split Big Mac's face as he asked, "Funny faces, huh? What kinda funny faces?" Rarity felt the heat rush to her face as Apple Bloom tried to imitate the expressions she'd seen on Rarity's face, widening her eyes and and resting her cheek on her tiny fist. Desperate to escape, Rarity looked around wildly for a way – any way – to extricate herself from the situation.

Suddenly, like a fluffy pink angel, Pinkie Pie came bounding over. "Ready to get some ice cream, Rare? The girls are probably wondering where we are. Hi Big Mac! Hey Apple Bloom, did you like the story?"

Apple Bloom nodded vigorously. "It was great, Miss Pinkie! I wish you could do story time all the time!" Without waiting for a response, she turned to her big brother. "Big Mac, can we get ice cream too? Please oh please?" she begged.

Big Mac was still studying Rarity, who was looking like she wanted the floor to swallow her up whole. He hadn't realized how much he'd enjoy teasing her and seeing her cheeks flush with color. She was beautiful, certainly, but there was something about seeing her caught off guard, with her usual grace and composure slipping just a bit that was undeniably enticing. Big Mac hoped he'd have more chances to see her like that and wondered briefly if he should bring Apple Bloom with him to help at the shop.

Turning back to his youngest sibling, he chuckled at the desperate expression on her face. "Sure, lil' gal. We can get some ice cream." Apple Bloom let out a cheer and danced around in happy circles at the news.

Rarity, on the other hand, couldn't decide if she was terrified or thrilled by this development.

*****Ok, I hope the creation story helps the horse-themed names to fit the story a bit better. And Big Mac is getting bolder, it seems...I didn't necessarily set out to make him that way, but I like it. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it!*****


	3. Chapter 3

The small group, consisting of Rarity, Big Mac, Apple Bloom and Pinkie Pie made their way over to Sugarcube corner after the rest of the children had been picked up from the library. Pinkie Pie chattered the entire way, but Rarity couldn't have recalled the conversation if her life depended on it. No, she was too distracted by the man walking beside her. Seeing him with Apple Bloom, Rarity found herself wondering what kind of a father he would be. He was patient and kind and it was clear that he absolutely adored his youngest sibling. And by the way Apple Bloom carried on with – and about – him, it was obvious the feeling was mutual.

By the time they reached their destination, the stress of feigning interest in whatever it was Pinkie had been babbling about while simultaneously attempting to ignore Big Mac's presence had Rarity wishing for a stiff drink and some peace and quiet. Alas, neither of these things would be within her grasp for quite awhile, so she resigned herself to a small scoop of ice cream instead.

When they entered the shop, Rarity spotted Apple Jack at a table, her long blond pony tail exploding from beneath her well worn hat. Like a woman reunited with her long lost love, Rarity rushed to the table. "Apple Jack!" she called excitedly as she reached the table, grinning widely.

Apple Jack cocked an eyebrow, confused by the enthusiastic greeting and the slightly mad look in her friend's eye. Sure she and Rarity had been friendly since childhood, but she couldn't recall a time when the beautiful dress maker had ever been so excited by her presence. "Hai there, Rarity. Everythin' ok?" she asked cautiously.

Rarity slid into the booth across from her, the wild look still on her face. "Of course, darling! Why wouldn't everything be just fine? Whatever made you ask such a thing?" The question was punctuated by a shrill giggle that had Apple Jack eyeballing her friend warily.

"You sure 'bout that, sugarcube? You seem..." she searched for the right word, "a mite excitable this evenin'."

Realizing that she was putting on quite the show for Apple Jack, Rarity closed her eyes and took a few deep, calming breaths. When she opened her eyes, she had returned to her usual composed, dignified self. "Truly, Apple Jack, I'm quite all right," she assured her worried companion.

Apple Jack looked like she wanted to press the issue, but before she had the chance, Apple Bloom came running up to the table. "Apple Jack! Big Mac said we could come have some ice cream. Can we sit with you and Miss Rarity and Miss Pinkie?" Apple Bloom looked up at her big sister with the largest eyes Rarity had ever seen.

"Hey there, lil' sis'," Apple Jack replied, ruffling Apple Bloom's hair. "Don't ya'll wanna sit somewhere where you kin have your big brother all ta yerself?"

Apple Bloom's face fell, her bottom lip wobbling dangerously. Having seen Sweetie Bell in full tantrum mode enough times herself, Rarity braced herself for the coming storm. Big Mac, who had been standing somewhat off to the side must have noticed the signs himself, for he scooped Apple Bloom up and settled her comfortably on his hip.

"I was hopin' I'd get some time with my best gal tonight," he said lightly, chucking the still pouting Apple Bloom softly on the chin and winking at Rarity. "And I was hopin' she'd tell me all about her day."

The mutinous expression on Apple Bloom's small face wavered but she recovered quickly, shaking her head firmly. "Ah wanna sit with Apple Jack and her friends!" she insisted, crossing her arms for emphasis.

"Apple Bloom," Big Mac chided, an edge of authority in his voice, "AJ is here to spend time with her friends. We need ta leave her alone. You'll see her at home."

"Ah promise Ah'll read ya'll a story tonight, sugarcube," Apple Jack promised.

Tears welled up in Apple Bloom's amber colored eyes. "But Big Mac," she whined.

"Apple Bloom, I said no. If you'd like, we can leave now, without any ice cream." The threat was delivered with a calm sense of finality.

Defeated, Apple Bloom sighed and rested her head on his shoulders. Rarity's generous heart broke at the sight of the little girl looking so sad. "Big Mac, really, it's quite -" Her objection was cut off by a sharp look from Big Mac.

"We'll see you gals later," he said, turning to carry Apple Bloom to a separate table. Nearly instantly, the space he had vacated was populated again by Pinkie Pie. Rarity had nearly forgotten she had come with them.

"What's the littlest apple looking so sad for?" she asked, sliding into the booth next to Rarity.

Apple Jack rolled her eyes. "Big Mac told her she couldn't sit with us. She'll have herself a short pout and then she'll be right as rain in a few minutes." No sooner had she finished the sentence, than a high pitched giggle rang out through the restaurant. Apple Jack grinned as if to say "Told ya so".

"Hey guys! This a private party, or can anybody join?" The three friends turned to see Rainbow Dash strutting up to the table.

AJ scooted over to make room for the newcomer. In her signature blue tracksuit, with her shaggy, multi-colored hair, Dash looked as she always did: long and lean, athletic and confident.

"How's the team this year, Dash?" AJ asked.

Rainbow rolled her eyes. "I swear these kids get more attitude every year. Cheerleaders are supposed to be bright and happy. Instead, I get the bitchiest girls in school. Can't deny they've got some talent, though. You guys are coming to the game Friday night, right? First game of the season, my girls have some serious moves to show off."

"Of course we'll be there, darling! We wouldn't miss it for the world," Rarity assured her, as AJ and Pinkie nodded enthusiastically. The four friends chatted for a few more minutes, catching up as they waited for the rest of their group to show up. Not too much later, Fluttershy and Twilight came rushing in together, both looking rather stressed.

"Sorry we're late girls," Twilight apologized breathlessly, sliding onto the bench with Rarity and Pinkie. Fluttershy sat across from her, her long cotton candy colored hair slightly disheveled and falling over one eye as was it was wont to do.

"Nonsense," Rarity waved them off. "What's wrong, darlings?"

Twilight glanced at Fluttershy who shook her head slightly, indicating that Twilight should speak first. "It's just been a crazy day trying to get this charity dinner together. So far the only thing that's been right has been the dress you made for me, Rare!" Twilight shoved aside a lock of her dark purple hair in frustration. "But it all seems to be coming together, thank Celestia! I'll never understand why people can't just say 'Oh, this sounds like a good cause, here's a check'. Instead, you have to invest all this time – not to mention money – in schmoozing them. It's ridiculous!"

"Well, it'll be all worth it when them rich folks hand you those big honkin' checks, won't it, sugarcube?" AJ teased, her eyes dancing merrily. Twilight chuckled and sighed heavily.

"Of course, you're right AJ. I'll just be happy when it's all over." Having helped Twilight avoid a meltdown, the group turned its attention to Fluttershy.

"What's wrong, Shy? You look like you're about ready to -" before Dash could finish her sentence, Fluttershy burst into tears.

"Wait – no, Shy – I'm sorry, please - " Dash looked around frantically, unsure of what to do. Twilight reached across the table and grasped one of Fluttershy's tiny hands. Using her thumb, she gently brushed the inside of her friend's wrist; it was a trick Fluttershy had shown them awhile back, something her mother used to do whenever she was upset. It came in handy, as Fluttershy was a naturally nervous person and tended to upset rather easily.

Gradually, Fluttershy's sobs subsided and she took a few deep breaths to regain her composure. "I'm sorry girls," she whispered as her breathing returned to normal.

AJ was the first to speak, her voice uncharacteristically gentle. "Don't ya'll be sorry for nothin', sugarcube. Any soul can see yer hurtin', and that's nothin' to be sorry for. Ya'll wanna tell us what happened?"

Fluttershy nodded, but remained silent. The other girls looked at each other helplessly; it was obvious she wanted to talk about whatever was bothering, but they had no clue how to help her open up. Twilight continued her ministrations on her friend's delicate wrist as they all waited for her to speak.

Suddenly, Rarity had a thought. Her stomach clenched at the possibility, but she forced herself to ask the question. "Darling," she asked softly, "Did something happen at work? With one of the animals?" Fluttershy nodded slightly and Rarity felt her heart break. She glanced around at her friends, all of them with tears in their eyes. They all knew how attached Fluttershy was to the animals in her care. She ran a rescue shelter just on the edge of town, taking in animals who were sick or injured, or who were no longer wanted by their owners. Having an almost magical talent for caring for them, she had only lost a few animals in the few years she had run the shelter, and it devastated her every time.

It was long, quiet moment before Fluttershy spoke again. "We – we lost...we lost George." Her voice was so soft, they all had to lean forward to hear her. And then, they weren't sure they'd heard correctly. George? She couldn't have lost George...

George was one of the very first animals who had come into Fluttershy's care. She had begun working at the shelter in high school, as an unpaid intern. A few weeks into the internship she had been out walking one of the dogs they had recently rehabilitated when she heard a crying sound coming from the woods. Never one to turn away from an animal in pain, Fluttershy had hurried towards the sound. When she reached the spot the noise was emanating from, she found a vixen, bruised and bloody. And very pregnant. Fluttershy had wrapped the young mother-to-be in her jacket and rushed her to the shelter. There, she and the veterinarian on staff had worked for hours in an attempt to save the fox's life.

At some point in their efforts, they both realized that they would not be able to save the mother, but they had a good chance of saving her kits. So, they had set to work on delivering the litter. Hours after giving birth to a litter of six kits, the vixen had lost the struggle against her injuries. Without their mother to care for them, the kits were kept at the shelter, where Fluttershy nearly single handedly raised them and trained them to survive in the wild. The following spring, they released the young foxes back into the woods.

But one of the foxes found his way back to the shelter. Fluttershy released him again into the wild, but he returned again a few minutes later. This went on for a few more times before Fluttershy gave in and asked the director of the shelter if the fox could stay there permanently, assuring him that she would cover all of his expenses and care. The director agreed and so Fluttershy named the animal George and made him a permanent home at the shelter.

That had all been about five years ago, if Rarity remembered correctly, and hardly a week went by that Fluttershy didn't have some story about something funny or cute or smart that the fox had done. Recently, he had taken ill, but the vet had assured Fluttershy that George would make a full recovery. Hearing that he had died was a shock, to say the least.

"I know what we need!" Pinkie exclaimed suddenly, startling everyone out of their stupor. "We need a -"

"Pinkie," Rarity hissed, digging an elbow into her side. "This isn't the time for...you know," she gestured vaguely at Fluttershy, who had started crying again.

Pinkie looked confused. "For what?" she asked.

Rarity rolled her eyes and whispered, "A party. It's not the time for a party."

Hurt filled Pinkie's eyes. "I wasn't going to say party. I was going to say we need to have a funeral for George. How could you think I could party at a time like this?"

Rarity felt like a heel. Pinkie could be outrageous, but even she had enough sense not to suggest a party when one of their friends was so devastated. "Pinkie, I'm sorry. I should have let you finish." She raised her voice just enough for the rest of the table to hear them. "I think a funeral is a grand idea. If Fluttershy would like to, of course."

Fluttershy's head snapped up at the suggestion. "You all...would do that. For George?"

"If you would like us to, of course we would, darling!" Rarity replied.

Fluttershy's lips titled up in a tiny smile. "I would like that, very much."

"Ok then guys, time to go!" Pinkie declared.

Rainbow Dash looked taken aback. "What? Now? It's getting late..." she trailed off when she saw the determined look in Pinkie's eye. "I mean, yea, let's go," she corrected nervously. Pinkie was normally a very carefree person, but she was a force to be reckoned with once she latched onto an idea. So the six friends left the ice cream shoppe and began the long walk to the edge of town where the shelter was located. As they passed her shop, Rarity paused.

"Can you all wait for just one second? I'll be right back."

AJ rolled her eyes. "Rarity, this ain't no time ta be worryin' bout yer fancy clothes!" she snapped impatiently.

But Rarity was already unlocking the door to her shop, ignoring her fair-haired friend. Inside her shop, she dashed up to her apartment above. It took only a few moments to locate the package she sought. Snatching it up, she quickly returned to her friends outside.

"I told you I wouldn't be long," she smirked at AJ.

"Oooo, a present! What's in the box?" Pinkie asked excitedly.

"It's a surprise," Rarity answered mysteriously. "You'll all see when we get to the shelter. Now go on, dears, before it gets too dark!" Together, the six friends continued on towards their destination.

Reaching the shelter, they all gathered around Fluttershy who had started to tremble slightly. Rarity stepped forward and hooked her arm through Fluttershy's, the package from the shop in her other arm. "I'll come in with you, darling. Everyone else will be waiting right here, whenever you're ready." The others nodded and Fluttershy took a deep, bracing breath before entering the shelter with Rarity.

Inside, Fluttershy led the way to a back room, where a small form was wrapped in a white blanket on a metal table. Fluttershy blushed. "I asked Dr. Hooves to leave him for a bit. I – I just wasn't ready -"

Rarity squeezed her friend's arm. "It's perfectly understandable, dear. George was a dear friend, it's natural you'd need some time. But we're all here for you, if you're ready." Fluttershy nodded. "Ok then, I have something for you." Rarity put the package on the table and gestured for Fluttershy to open it. Fluttershy hesitated, then slowly unwrapped the package. She let out a small gasp when she saw the contents. Inside was a long, intricately carved box. She picked it up to examine it, noticing that it was covered in carvings of all different animals. The amount of detail in the carvings made it clear that a lot of effort – and love – had been put into creating the box.

"Rarity... where...how..." Fluttershy simply stared at her violet-haired friend, at a loss for words.

"A few years ago, I went to a craft fair, looking for some inspiration. I came across a booth with the most beautiful wood-working. I have a talent with fashion, but I'm rather hopeless outside of that medium," Rarity chuckled a bit. "Well, long story short, I fell in love with this box here. I had no idea what I would ever use it for, but I absolutely _had_ to have it. And now, I think I know why I was so drawn to it." Confusion filled Fluttershy's eyes. "It's for George, dear. If you'd like, of course."

"Rarity, I – I can't! It's far too generous..." Fluttershy trailed off, unsure of what to say. Rarity waved off her concerns. "Nonsense, darling. This is what I bought the box for, even if I didn't know it at the time. George was a loyal friend to you, he deserves nothing less than the best."

Fluttershy sniffled and threw her arms around Rarity's neck. The two hugged for a long moment before separating and beginning the task of placing George in the beautiful box. When they finished their preparations, Rarity carried the box outside, where their friends were waiting. Silently, they made their way to a small graveyard behind the building, where a fox-size hole had already been dug.

Rarity gently placed the box in the hole and stepped back to stand next to Fluttershy. "Would you anyone like to say a few words?" she suggested, sweeping her gaze over the group of friends. There was a pregnant pause, then Twilight stepped forward.

"I remember the day I met George," she smiled fondly at the memory. "It was shortly after I moved to Ponyville. I had come to the shelter to do some research for the Princess and as I was coming up the front steps, this beautiful fox came racing out the door. I was a little frightened, not knowing how friendly George could be, but he quickly won me over with his playfulness. I know he was a great source of comfort to Fluttershy, and that he will be greatly missed. We will all miss you, our little red friend." Twilight's voice cracked towards the end and she stepped back, sniffling against quiet tears.

One by one the group of friends stepped forward to pay their respects to their furry friend. In the end, Fluttershy was the only one left who hadn't spoken. Her friends watched as she slowly stepped forward and knelt next to the small grave. Wordlessly, she pressed a tiny hand to her lips and blew a trembling kiss towards the box. Standing, she turned to her friends and simply said, "Thank you".

After AJ and Rainbow filled the grave in, the friends walked Fluttershy home and each went their separate ways, not once noticing the figure keeping a silent watch from the nearby woods.

***** Yes, I made Fluttershy cry. I'm a horrible person. I messed with the time-lines a bit because I couldn't bear to kill off Angel. So Angel will be showing up later in the story. The ages are probably a bit off from the show as well...I've written them so they're in their early to mid twenties. Big Mac is a few years older and Apple Bloom is probably 5, turning 6 (change of life baby before their parents died? hmmm). Reviews are welcome, even if you hated it. And if you hated it, I'd love if you could tell me why. I may not change anything, but at least I'd know what people are thinking/feeling when they read this. Hope you all enjoyed Ch. 3, Ch. 4 shouldn't be too far behind!*****


	4. Chapter 4

"No, no, no, no, no! Arrgh!" Rarity let out a short scream of frustration and pulled the white sundress over her head, tossing the offending garment on the bed atop a growing pile of clothes. She stalked over to her closet, pushing frantically through the various clothes hanging within. "Opal, why don't I have _anything_ to wear today!" she fumed to her white Persian cat, who was watching her lazily from the windowsill. "Too flashy. Too plain. Too pink. Too drab. Too...just...NO!"

Her legs folded under her and she sat hard, staring up at the contents of her closet. "The store opens in five minutes, I -" her rant was cut off by the sound of her doorbell ringing. Horrified, she ran to the mirror to check her hair and make-up. "Hopeless," she cried, then headed for the stairs.

_Please don't be him, Please don't be him,_ she chanted mentally as she made her way to the front door. Checking the peephole, she heaved a sigh of relief when she saw Twilight standing on her front step. Unlocking the door, she opened it just enough to let her friend in before slamming and locking the door behind her.

"Umm, is everything ok, Rare?" Twilight asked, confused. "You know the shop opens -"

"In five minutes, yes, and I haven't got a thing to wear and my hair is a rat's nest and my make up is simply _hideous_," Rarity finished for her in a rush.

Twilight suppressed a chuckle. "Ok, let's go upstairs and find you something to wear." Gently, she took her frazzled friend by the arm and led the way up to her apartment. Her eyes went wide at the destruction before her. "Nothing to wear, huh?" she muttered, taking in the mass of clothes strewn across the bed and floor. Twilight pointed to the bench in front of the vanity. "Sit," she ordered, moving to the kitchen without waiting to see if she would be obeyed.

As she expected, a pot of tea was already brewing, so Twilight poured some in one of the dainty tea cups her friend kept handy and carried it out to her. "Drink this, and I'll clean up a big, see if we can't find you something to wear." Rarity accepted the drink gratefully, closing her eyes as she sipped the sweet fluid. She watched Twilight move around her apartment with her graceful, economic movements. Her nerves began to calm and the corners of her lips twitched as she realized how ridiculous she must have seemed, standing in her pink dressing robe, _insisting_ she hadn't a thing to wear.

From the corner of her eye, Twilight caught the small smile. "Feeling better?" she asked.

Rarity laughed, soft and melodic. "Yes, darling. Thanks so much for the tea. I was just having one of those mornings, you know?" She set the cup down and moved to help Twilight clean up. "I was being ridiculous, I know. Big Mac's coming by again today and I just..."

"Wanted to look perfect?" Twilight finished helpfully.

Rarity nodded. "It's not even as though he's coming for a date. I don't know what I'm so worked up about."

Twilight had her suspicions, but wisely kept her thoughts to herself. After seeing the affect Big Mac had on her friend, she was beginning to believe this was more than just a silly childhood crush. But she wasn't sure that Rarity was ready to see that yet. "Well, now that you're thinking clearly, why don't you finish getting ready and I'll open up the shop."

"Thank you, ever so much Twilight. For everything." As Twilight made her way down to the shop, Rarity threw open the doors to her closet and declared "Time to get fabulous".

Half an hour later, Rarity emerged from her apartment looking positively radiant. She was dressed in a pair of white linen capris, with a billowy, pale pink top. Her perfectly pedicured feet were showcased in a pair of heeled sandals in a slightly darker shade of pink than her top. She had pulled her hair up in a concession to the late summer heat and humidity, and small diamond drops sparkled at her ears.

"Feeling better?" Twilight asked as Rarity stepped off the last step.

The fashionista struck a pose and flashed a brilliant smile. "I feel utterly fabulous, darling. Thanks for all your help. Now that we've averted my personal crisis...what brings you to my doorstep at such an early hour?"

"Actually...um...I was wondering if you wouldn't mind coming to the banquet with me tonight. I was just thinking, since you have more experience with this kind of thing, I might feel more comfortable with you there. I know it's last minute and I under-"

"Darling! Of course I'll go with you!" Rarity interrupted gleefully. "What fun we'll have, schmoozing and flirting...and perhaps we'll even find you a man." The last was said with a mischievous twinkle in her eye that had the blood draining from Twilight's face.

"I – a what?" she asked, her voice several octaves higher than normal.

But Rarity was ushering her out the door. "Never you mind, dear. Go and finish getting your party together and remember to be here by 3 so we can get ready together." Rarity squealed and bounced in place, reminiscent of Pinkie Pie's over-enthusiastic demeanor. "What fun we'll have!" She turned from the front door, leaving Twilight standing on her front step, wondering what she'd just done.

Rarity spent the rest of the morning taking and filling orders, helping customers as they wandered into her shop and mentally planning for the banquet later that evening. Noon came, bringing with it Big Mac and Apple Jack; the latter rather unexpectedly.

"Apple Jack, what a pleasant surprise," Rarity smiled warmly at the sight of her hard-working friend. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" Apple Jack blushed rather uncharacteristically and cast a furtive glance at her older brother, who simply nodded as if to say "Go on".

"Miss Rarity, I'm gonna go get started on that crack in yer ceiling," he commented, leaving the two women alone. Apple Jack shifted her gaze around the shop, studiously avoiding Rarity's eyes.

"Apple Jack, what on earth is going on?" Rarity demanded, at a complete loss as to what could be bothering her friend so.

"Ah, uh, wanted ta talk to ya'll 'bought...'bought last night," AJ stumbled, still blushing furiously.

Now Rarity was even more confused. "Last night?"

AJ nodded. "When we stopped by yer shop here, Ah...well, Ah jumped to conclusions. Ah thought ya'll wanted to get all fancied up or somethin' and Ah snapped at ya'll. Instead, ya'll gave Fluttershy that beautiful box to bury George in...and it was mighty generous of ya'll. Sometimes Ah forget what a big heart ya'll have under all that fussiness. Ah'm sorry I snapped at ya and thought poorly of ya ta begin with."

Rarity was at a loss, entirely unsure of what to say. AJ almost never apologized for anything, most especially to _her_. "Well, that's most gracious of you, Apple Jack. Apology accepted."

AJ flashed a relieved smile. "Thank ya kindly, Rarity. I gotta get back ta Sweet Apple Acres...don't work my brother too hard!" she called as she exited the shop. For a moment, Rarity mistook her meaning and felt the blush rise to her cheeks...then she realized AJ had been referring to the repairs to her ceiling – and she blushed even hotter. After taking a few moments to compose herself, Rarity joined Big Mac in the back room where he was hard at work on the ceiling.

"She apologize?" he asked when she entered, never taking his attention off his work.

"What? Oh, yes. She did...how did you...?"

"AJ's got a good heart, jus' sometimes takes her brain a bit to catch up." Rarity watched the muscles in his arms bunch as he hoisted the bucket of plaster up the ladder. "She tol' me 'bout last night, and I tol' her she needed to apologize." He looked over his shoulder and grinned at her. "She woulda come around to that eventually, I just got her there a might quicker."

"Well, thank you, then. Apple Jack and I...we don't always see eye to eye."

Big Mac chuckled. "That's cuz ya'll focus so much on yer differences and can't see how alike ya'll really are."

Surprised by the comment, Rarity waited to see if he was going to expand on it. Realizing after awhile that he'd said all he was going to say on the subject, she returned to work, more intrigued than ever by the man.

*****How am I doing with AJ's accent? It's turning out to be harder to write than I'd anticipated. I'm a bit of a grammar Nazi, so it's difficult for me. Hope you all enjoyed this chapter, as short as it may be!*****


	5. Chapter 5

*****Fair warning, this chapter gets a little dark at the end. We're getting into the "mystery" part more now.*****

Around two thirty that afternoon, Rarity popped back into the back room, where Big Mac was, to her surprise, no longer working on the crack in the ceiling. In fact, there no longer _was_ a crack in the ceiling. For a moment she wondered if he'd left without saying goodbye (refusing to dwell on how much the idea upset her) but then she heard an odd noise coming from the small half-bath.

"Big Mac?" she called curiously.

"Ee-yup, Miss Rarity. Ya'll know this toilet in here was leakin' somethin' fierce?" he replied from the tiny room.

Rarity pushed open the door and sure enough, he was stretched the length of the bathroom, hidden from the shoulders up by the ceramic contraption.

"Really, Big Macintosh, you don't have to go through so much trouble."

"It's no trouble, Miss Rarity. Iffin' you don't mind, I noticed some other repairs that I could see to for ya, before they get too bad," he offered, pushing himself up into a seated position.

"Well...I don't want to keep you from your responsibilities at Sweet Apple Acres..."

Mac shook his head. "It's not harvestin' season yet, still a couple months away from that. We got some down time right now, I can come a couple days a week, see ta things around here for ya."

Rarity unconsciously worried her bottom lip, making Big Mac wonder what it would be like to feel her nibble on his own as he kissed her. He snapped out of his daydream when she spoke again, "All right, but I must make one request."

"Yes, Miss Rarity?"

"Stop calling me Miss," she laughed, turning to leave. Mac chuckled himself, it was a hard habit for a farm boy to break.

"Oh, I almost forgot," she turned back to him. "I'm going to close up shop in a few minutes so that Twilight and I can get ready for her dinner tonight. Would you mind letting yourself out and just making sure the door is shut behind you?"

"Sure thing Mi- uh, Rarity." He sighed as he watched her walk away, wondering if he'd even work up the nerve to do the things he'd been dreaming of.

* * *

><p>A few hours later, Rarity and Twilight were studying themselves in the three-way mirror in Rarity's bedroom. Twilight's caramel skin positively glowed, complimented by Rarity's violet creation. Her eyes, almost the exact same shade as the dress looked huge and exotic thanks to some sort of voodoo Rarity had done with her brushes and powders. Her only concern was the shoes – the peep-toed pumps added almost a full four inches to her height and she'd spent the last half hour practicing walking in them. She still wasn't sure she wouldn't fall and make a fool of herself.<p>

Rarity had chosen a simple gray number, just off the shoulder, showing off her creamy alabaster skin. There were hints of blue and purple woven throughout the material, complimenting her hair and her eyes. She had piled her own violet hair atop her head, allowing a few curls to fall around her face, giving her a softer look. For Twilight, she had spent hours curling her friend's normally waterfall straight hair so that it seemed to explode around her face, highlighting her high cheekbones.

"Twilight, darling, one look at you and those checkbooks will be jumping out of their pockets," Rarity declared, utterly pleased with the both of them. "And if any of them give you a bit of trouble, I'll be right by your side to help you schmooze."

"And if that fails, I can always win them over with humor when I fall flat on my face in these heels," Twilight commented dryly.

Rarity rolled her eyes, stepping effortlessly into her own purple pumps. "Don't be ridiculous, darling. You'll be fantastic. Now, shall we be on our way?"

Being such a small town, it took only a few minutes for the carriage to pull up in front of the banquet hall. Before exiting, Rarity turned to her companion and asked "Ready, darling?". Twilight nodded nervously and the two friends stepped down from the carriage and made their way into the hall. Within seconds, the mayor had wound her way through the crowd, her face positively glowing with excitement.

"Twilight! You've done a fantastic job, dear!" she proclaimed, hugging the librarian. "Everything is absolutely perfect...congratulations!"

The rest of the evening passed in a whirl of conversation, good food and much self-congratulating by the "VIPs" of the evening. Rarity found herself wishing she could afford to give more to the cause as she listened to Twilight's impassioned speech on the country's illiteracy rate and the impact it was having on low-income families.

And even though she flirted with several of Equestria's most eligible bachelors, her thoughts were never far from a certain farmer. It was disconcerting to her that as she listened to a gentleman (she'd completely forgotten his name within seconds of meeting him...something she never did) wax poetic about his house in the country, she was daydreaming about watching the sunset in an apple orchard with Big Mac's strong arms wrapped around her. As her gaze wandered the room, she spotted Twilight deep in an animated conversation with a man Rarity recognized, but couldn't quite place. Just then, the man said something and Twilight laughed; not the practiced giggle of an accomplished flirt, but rather a full throated, head tossed back, peal of joy. Rarity made a mental note to grill her friend on the ride home and find out more about the mysterious gentleman.

It turned out, however, that she had no need to wheedle the information out of her companion. As soon as they entered the carriage, Twilight began an excited narrative about the gentleman, who turned out to be none other than Opus Hardcover, the eldest son of the Hardcover family. The Hardcover family's fortune dated back hundreds of years to the creation of the printing press. Now, the Hardcover family made their millions by being the largest publisher in Equestria. It was no wonder Twilight had hit it off with the heir so easily.

"And he just _knows _so much, about everything. Government, law, music, science...anything we talked about, he had an expansive knowledge of." Twilight sighed dreamily. "It was just so nice to have a conversation tonight that didn't center around money or gossip."

"Why Twilight...if I didn't know any better, I'd say you're rather smitten with the young gentleman from Fillydelphia," Rarity teased, causing a light blush to color Twilight's cheeks. By now the two women had returned to Rarity's apartment, where they were taking turns showering and changing for bed. They had decided it would be fun to make a night of it, so Twilight was going to be sleeping over.

"I'm just saying, it was nice to talk to someone on my level, for a change," Twilight's eyes went huge as she thought about what she'd just implied. "Not that you girls aren't all smart, because you are, we just -"

"Don't have the same interests?" Rarity interrupted, amused. "I know, darling, it's quite all right. I feel the same way whenever I attend fashion shows. It is awfully nice to be able to share interests with someone, is it not?"

Twilight relaxed, falling into Rarity's luxurious bed. "It is. I could have talked to him all night, if the mayor hadn't so, er, _politely_ reminded me of my duties," she giggled at the memory. Rarity joined her in the over sized bed, and the two friends fell asleep chatting about the magical evening.

* * *

><p>He couldn't believe it. After all this time, all this <em>planning<em> and she had to ruin everything by having that whore of a friend over. For a sleep over, of all things. He knew what they were doing, he knew the kinds of things women did to each other under the guise of innocently spending time together. He knew how they were touching each other, and unlike most men, the thought made him ill. She was for _him_ and him alone!

He felt the white hot rage boiling up inside and for a moment he contemplated simply going in and killing them both. He'd slit the throat of the whore librarian and make her watch, so that she would know what happened to bitches who crossed him. Then, he'd make her beg, make her do things she would never dream of doing. And in the end, he'd kill her anyway for being unfaithful.

After a few deep breaths and counting as high as a hundred (techniques he'd learned in the place), he realized he may be overreacting. Perhaps this was just a sign that he wasn't as ready as he had thought, that he needed to take some more time to prepare for her. After all, she was perfection and he needed to be perfect for her. He had thought he was...but now that he considered it, he thought of a million different things he needed to change before he could be with her.

But, even if he wasn't perfect yet, it didn't mean he couldn't leave her something. A token of his love, something to let her know he was watching, that he was waiting for just the right time.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, Rarity awoke to find Twilight missing from the bed. Hearing a noise in the kitchen, she realized her friend must be making breakfast. Stretching, she rose and joined her.

"Good morning, Rarity!" Twilight greeted her happily.

Rarity raised an eyebrow, eyes still bleary with sleep. "Morning," she yawned. "Are you always so chipper in the mornings, Twilight?"

Twilight giggled as she moved around the small kitchen. "Not usually but I think I'm still pumped from last night. And I seriously need to get a bed like that! I've never slept so soundly in all my life...not even when I lived in Canterlot!"

The two friends sat at the small table and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast. As it was Sunday, Rarity's shop would be closed, so she could spend the day doing as she pleased, although she did plan to get caught up on some orders. Including the Apple family mending she'd neglected all week. Twilight didn't really have any plans, so she had decided to stay at Rarity's for awhile longer, giving the two the type of one-on-one time they didn't get very often.

After breakfast, they dressed and headed down to the shop. Flipping on the lights at the bottom of the stairs, Rarity froze as her gaze locked on the front counter.

Twilight nearly stumbled into her. "Rarity, what the..." She followed her friend's gaze and felt a chill run through her.

Sitting on the front counter, cradled in a thin vase, was a single long-stemmed black rose.

"Twilight, please tell me that rose is from you," Rarity whispered, clutching the railing.

It took a moment for Twilight to speak past the lump in her throat. "I wish I could, Rare... Was it here when we came in last night? I don't remember seeing it."

Pushing past the immobilizing fear, Rarity marched to the counter and picked up the vase. Carrying it outside, she tossed it in the trash – vase and all.

When she returned, her normal dazzling smile was once again in place. "There, all taken care of, you see?"

"Rarity, don't you think you should tell someone? I mean, if someone broke into your place last night to put that there, you could be in real danger." Twilight was worried that her friend seemed so determined to simply brush the occurrence off as if nothing had happened.

"Twilight, darling, you worry too much! Now, I don't want to hear another word about that tacky little rose, you hear me? Come, I really do need to get some work done around here, or else I'll be dreadfully behind all week!" With that, Rarity turned and sauntered to the back of the shop.

Still concerned, but unsure of what else to say, Twilight followed. The rose was not mentioned for the rest of the day.

* * *

><p>The next few weeks carried on much as they always had, with two big changes. Big Mac was at the shop for at least an hour every Tuesday and Thursday, fixing up various little things that had gone largely unnoticed by Rarity. But, as time went on, she realized how much of a difference those little things made in how her shop looked. He had even fixed her sewing machine one day when it had died in the middle of her trying to fill a large order. With the new routine came a familiarity, an ease in each other's presence that had been previously missing. Rarity still caught herself daydreaming about him, but she wasn't the bundle of nerves she had been.<p>

The second big change was the rose. It appeared in a different place every Sunday morning, and every Sunday morning she tossed it in the trash. There was never a note, never any indication of whom had left it for her or what their intentions were, but Rarity refused to live her life in a state of fear because some jerk didn't have the common decency to woo her like a normal person.

It was a cool, crisp fall day when everything began to change. Rarity was in the back room, attempting to remove a large box from a high shelf. She wasn't even sure how it had gotten up there. "How does one manage to put something out of her own reach?" she fussed at herself, pulling the box further off the shelf little by little. Just as she was about to claim success, the box unbalanced and started to fall.

Suddenly, a pair of long arms snaked around her and snatched the box up before it could bludgeon her over the head. Rarity spun around and came face to face with Big Mac, his expression somewhere between amusement and annoyance. Without taking his eyes off her, Mac shifted the box to one hand and set it down on the table beside them. His hands now free, he settled them on her waist, pulling her closer to him. Rarity's gaze fell to his lips and she unconsciously licked her own in anticipation.

He hadn't meant to do it, honestly. He'd seen the box about to fall and instinctively reached out to grab it. It wasn't until she'd turned to face him that he'd noticed how close they were. And even then he'd had no intention of kissing her; his hands seemed to act of their own accord, pulling her towards him. And then that dainty little tongue had darted out between her full, sexy lips and he was lost. Not giving himself time to think about what he was doing, he bowed his head and brushed his lips against hers, feather soft.

She tasted of the chocolates she kept hidden in the back, the ones she snuck when she thought no one was looking. He'd found it adorable then; it made him want to devour her now. He felt her head tip back and her body arch towards him and he couldn't hold back any longer. He crushed his lips against hers, lost himself in the feel of her, the taste of her.

Rarity felt her heart soar when his lips brushed against hers. It was just as she had imagined: slow and lazy, soft and gentle. She found herself leaning up and into him, wanting more.

And then her world tilted as the tenor of the kiss suddenly changed. Here, there was no slow and lazy, only fast and fierce. No soft and gentle, only heat and passion. Her hand fisted in his shirt, desperate for some grasp on the reality that seemed so far away. She had a fleeting thought that she was being consumed by fire – and just as quickly she realized that she didn't care.

Time seemed to stand still and for awhile, and the world was just the two of them. There was nothing but taste and sensation as they lost themselves in each other. It was with great reluctance on both sides that they eventually separated, Big Mac grinning lopsidedly and moving to run a nervous hand through his hair. Doing so, he caught sight of the time as his watch came in to view.

"Oh horse apples!" he muttered. "I hate to just up an leave, but I'm late pickin' Apple Bloom up from school."

Rarity flashed a smile to hide her disappointment. "Don't worry about it. Tell the little darling I said hello. I'll see you Thursday?" She hoped her voice hadn't betrayed how desperately she wanted him to assure her he'd return.

"Sure thing. You ain't getting rid of me that easily," he smirked, pulling her back in for a quick, passionate kiss before leaving the shop.

Still slightly dazed, Rarity tried to focus on her work. It took only a few minutes for her to realize she wasn't going to get anything else done for the day, so she opted to lay down with a good book until a customer came or it was time to close up, whichever came first.

* * *

><p>The sun was setting over Sweet Apple Acres when Granny Smith called him in for dinner. He'd been distracted the rest of the day and he hoped he could concentrate enough to make conversation during the family meal. AJ was often too perceptive for her – or his – own good and he didn't need her prying tonight.<p>

He'd spent the afternoon worrying over how he'd left things with Rarity. It just wasn't right to kiss a woman like that and then leave not ten seconds later. Sometime during dinner he made up his mind to go back over and apologize, just as soon as Apple Bloom was tucked into bed.

* * *

><p>Tonight was the night, he could feel it in his bones. He had made adjustments, both physically and mentally to prepare for this night. She was the one, he <em>knew<em> it. He'd thought that about others, of course, but none of them compared to her.

As darkness fell, he watched the window at the top right of the dressmaker's shop. Her silhouette moved back and forth in front of the window and he realized she knew he was watching. She was putting on a show, just for him. Calling him, begging him to come and take her, to make her his bride.

Tonight, her wish would be granted.


	7. Chapter 7

Rarity decided to unwind for the evening in her favored fashion: a long bubble bath. Sinking down into the steaming, scented water, she felt the tension leave her limbs little by little. As the dulcet tones of the world's leading cellist surrounded her, she tuned out everything outside that bathroom.

* * *

><p>His hands were shaking. They always shook a little when he was so close to a new bride. He pulled out the kit he'd obtained from a would-be thief some years ago and silently unlocked the door to the shop. Slowly, so as to make as little noise as possible, he pushed the door shut behind him just enough so as to not alert any casual passersby. As he cautiously made his way up the stairs, he paused to savor the music drifting down the stairs. He recognized the unique style of Octavia, and he approved. Giddiness washed over him as he realized that this was just one more aspect of his bride's perfection.<p>

He lost track of time for awhile, standing on the steps listening to the beautiful strings. When the song came to an end, he shook himself out of his daydream and continued his trek up the stairs. Reaching the apartment above the shop, he stopped for a moment to gain his bearings. He'd been here dozens of times already; he knew this home almost as well as his own.

The door to the bedroom was open, emitting a soft glow. She was in there, waiting for him. Preparing herself for him. He imagined her posing on the bed, inviting him to share it with her. His heart pounded as he walked softly across the carpeted living room floor. He stood in the open door, stunned for a moment to realize she wasn't there. Then he noticed the light slipping out from under the bathroom door. Ah, that explained it. She was bathing, making herself clean for him. He smiled at her thoughtfulness and moved toward the light.

The notes from Octavia's cello soared as he grabbed the knob and turned, throwing the door to the bathroom open. She sat up in the bath too quickly, water sloshing over the sides. He noted this detail and considered punishing her for the mess, but quickly decided against it. She'd have time to learn; he wouldn't spoil their first night together with something as trivial as a little water on the floor.

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice rising a few octaves. For a moment, he was confused. Why was she acting as though she didn't know him? And then he knew: she was a lady. Of course she couldn't admit to expecting him. Such things simply weren't done in their circles.

"My bride," he whispered, stepping through the door. "At long last, my beautiful bride." He could barely contain his joy at the thought.

With that, she screamed.

* * *

><p>After tucking Apple Bloom into bed, complete with several stories, Big Mac slipped out to make the walk to Rarity's. He hoped she wasn't in bed as it was getting rather late; Princess Luna's moon had been hanging in the sky for a full hour already. The thought of Rarity in bed inevitably led to thoughts of what Rarity wore to bed...being in bed with Rarity...waking up with Rarity. He shook the thoughts off when he realized he was nearing her shop. He was here to apologize, possibly ask for a date. Not for a quick tussle with her. She was too important for that.<p>

That last thought surprised him. He knew he was attracted to her, that he felt something for her. But he hadn't taken time to consider that she might be important. That this...whatever they had, might be important. And now that the thought had crossed his mind, he wasn't sure what to make of it.

Still lost in thought, he knocked on the front door, surprised when it swung open with a touch. He was about to call out to her when he heard a short scream from her apartment above. Without hesitation, he took off up the stairs, heart pounding with fear and adrenaline.

Bursting through her bedroom door, that very same heart nearly failed him. She was there, naked, bleeding and unconscious - _please, Celestia, let her just be unconscious_ - on the floor with a dark figure standing over her. Something flashed in the figure's hand and it took Mac a moment to recognize it as a knife.

Seeing red, Mac charged the figure. Thankfully the stranger didn't register the threat until the last moment, turning just as Mac slammed into him, taking them both to the floor. He felt the sharp, stinging pain as the knife found his flesh. Pushing the pain away, he rolled, taking the stranger with him, knocking into a dresser and sending a vase of flowers crashing to the floor. Mac pinned the stranger to the floor, his arm pressed against his throat.

But the stranger was faster and stronger than he had realized and effortlessly flipped Mac over, his head connecting sharply with the floor. Then the stranger was up and running, out of the bedroom, down the stairs. Struggling to his feet, Mac was torn between giving chase and checking on Rarity. In that split second, he made the agonizing decision to stay with her.

Rushing to her side, he frantically searched for a pulse. Finding a very faint one, he nearly sobbed with relief. Pulling out the pocket phone Apple Jack had taken to insisting he keep on him at all times, he dialed the local emergency services. He spent the next few excruciatingly long minutes by her side, begging for her to stay with him, taking a few moments to cover her with a sheet. When emergency services arrived, he ushered them up the stairs, explaining as best he could what had happened. He stood back as they felt for a pulse in much the same manner as he had done, then fitted her with a tall collar before transferring her to a stretcher.

Bullying his way past the medics, he settled into the vehicle beside the stretcher, holding her hand. He heard only snippets of what they were saying, but the words he caught were phrases like "serious blood loss", "pulse getting fainter" and "internal bleeding".

"Don't you leave me," he whispered fiercely. "Don't you dare leave me."

When they reached the hospital, Rarity was whisked past a set of double doors where Mac was denied entry. At a loss for what else to do, he pulled out his phone and called his sister. She answered on the third ring, her voice groggy with sleep.

"AJ? It's Big Mac. I'm...I'm at the hospital."

"What? What happened? I'm on my way, where are you?" her voice was now fully alert, all traces of sleep gone.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he assured her. "It's – I came with Rarity," he blurted out.

"What? Who?" she asked, confusion in her voice.

"I'll explain when you get here. Make sure you tell Granny Smith where you're going, but try not to scare her," he instructed. "And call Twilight," he added, as an afterthought.

Ten minutes later, AJ burst through the emergency doors followed by Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. Seeing him, AJ rushed towards him, throwing her arms around his neck. Mac clung to her like salvation, holding her longer and more tightly than he had since their parents' deaths. Opening his eyes, he spotted Twilight watching him with great interest, an unfathomable depth of knowledge in her violet eyes.

AJ pulled away from his embrace and began firing a million questions at him. Mac answered them to the best of his ability, lying only a little when it came to explaining why he was at Rarity's in the first place. He told them he'd been taking a walk when he noticed the door to her shop open and heard her scream. He wasn't ready to admit to what was between them, not when he hadn't figured it out for himself yet.

"AJ, I can't tell ya what I don' know!" he exclaimed after being asked for the tenth time who the stranger in Rarity's bedroom was. Truth was, he'd never gotten a good look at the man. He knew it _was_ a man, about his same height and a similar, if slightly trimmer, build. Outside of that, the details were sketchy.

"I'm going to get some coffee," he grumbled, pushing up out of the hard, plastic chair. Just then, a doctor came through the double doors.

"Miss Rarity's friends?" he asked, searching the large waiting area.

Big Mac suddenly found himself unable to move, or even breathe. This man was here to tell him that she was dead, gone, that he'd never get the chance to hold her or kiss her again. Or tell her he –

"That's us, doctor," Twilight stepped forward, interrupting his train of thought.

The doctor walked over to the group of friends, his face carefully neutral.

* * *

><p>The bitch! The horrible, whoring, dirty bitch!<p>

This whole time he'd been preparing himself for her and she'd been fucking that idiot farmer. He'd thought she was perfect and she'd let him down, just like all the others. He'd been robbed of another bride because all women were fucking whores, they all spread their legs for the first man who came along, not caring that real men like him were out there, waiting for the perfect woman.

Taking a deep breath, he surveyed the damage around him. Books, glass, papers were strewn around the den, a testament to his rage. She would pay, oh how she would pay. The thought gave him some solace, calmed him enough to begin making plans. And in making plans, he smiled.


	8. Chapter 8

The first thing that registered was the pain. Dear Celestia, the pain. At first it seemed to be everywhere, but after awhile she realized it was centered in her abdomen. Why was there so much pain?

Next, the memories came flooding back. Taking a bath – how fantastic the steaming water felt. The music of Octavia's cello filling the room. The door flying open, someone standing there, staring at her. He said something...but what? It felt important to remember, but the memory was hazy, as though she were viewing it through a fog. Screaming, somebody was screaming. Her, she was screaming. Then...blackness. Had he hit her? Had she fallen? Why couldn't she remember?

* * *

><p>Big Mac paced back and forth inside the tiny waiting room. They were only allowed to see her two at a time and he'd had to switch with his sister and Rainbow Dash after just a few minutes. Pinkie Pie still hadn't gone in; he hoped it wouldn't raise too many eyebrows if he went back in with her. Somebody had eventually thought to call Rarity's mother and she was supposedly on her way.<p>

AJ and Dash reappeared in the doorway, shaking their heads sadly when everyone looked up hopefully. Still no change. The doctors had said she might sleep for awhile as she'd lost a lot of blood and she would be in a good bit of pain whenever she did awake. Mac unconsciously rubbed at the wound on his side. Luckily the knife had only grazed him so he hadn't needed stitches, but there was a dull ache to remind him of how close he'd come.

"Big Mac?" Pinkie Pie spoke his name softly, gesturing towards the door. He followed her, not even wondering how she knew he'd want to go with her.

He thought again that she looked so delicate and pale in the hospital bed. The room needed some color, she would want some color when she finally woke. He took the seat next to the bed he'd occupied before, clasping her tiny hand within his larger one, willing her to give him some sign that she knew he was there.

Pinkie stood opposite him, holding her other hand. They stayed just that way for awhile, neither saying anything. Then, out of nowhere, Pinkie spoke.

"Twitchy twitchy. She'll need you," she said softly, never taking her eyes from Rarity's face.

"What?" Big Mac looked up, sure he hadn't heard her right. She couldn't have just said "twitchy twitchy", could she?

Pinkie smiled, just a little. "Twitchy nose. It's not over. He'll come for her again. But that's not why she'll need you." She turned then, and Big Mac swore he could see the universe in her gaze. "She'll need you to help her repair what's been broken inside of her. If you can't – or won't – then you should just walk away right now." She paused and tilted her head, as though listening for something. "Time to meet the family."

The words had barely left her mouth before a stunning woman appeared in the doorway. Even without Pinkie's warning, Mac would have known her for Rarity's mother in a second. Starsong had the same dark violet hair, the same brilliant blue eyes, the same facial structure. If not for the age difference, mother and daughter could have been twins. Mac couldn't help but notice that she looked flawlessly put together. More like she'd stepped off the cover of a magazine than been awakened in the middle of the night to rush to her injured daughter's side.

Pinkie shot him a look that read "Brace yourself" before turning to greet her friend's mother. Before she could say a word, Starsong had rushed to her daughter's side.

"Oh, my baby! What did they do to you?" she wailed, clutching Rarity's pale hand to her face, practically knocking Pinkie over in the process. "You!" She jabbed a finger accusingly in Big Mac's direction. "What did you do to my sweet baby girl?"

Much to Mac's relief, Pinkie Pie stepped in. "Ms. Starsong, this is Big Macintosh. He's the one who saved Rarity's life. If he hadn't been walking by her store and heard her scream..." she allowed the implication to hang in the air.

Starsong's attitude improved immediately. She rushed around the bed and threw her arms around his neck. "Thank you, thank you for saving my baby!" Just as abruptly, her mood swung once again in the opposite direction. "Where are the police?" She demanded. "What are they doing to find the _monster_ responsible for hurting my daughter?"

"Right here, ma'am," a voice answered from the doorway. Big Mac, Starsong and Pinkie Pie turned to see a man in the doorway, holding up a detective's badge. "Detective Gold Shield," he introduced himself, briefly shaking each of their hands. When he reached Pinkie, her eyes went wide and she gave a little gasp. Muttering something about the room being too crowded, she hurried out the door. The detective looked at Big Mac, who shrugged as if to say "Who knows?". Curious, but aware of his responsibilities, he addressed the two people left in the room.

"Mr. Macintosh, is it?" The detective began, flipping through his notes.

"Yessir, but folks just call me Big Mac, or Mac," came the polite response.

"Ok then, Mac. Can you run through your version of events for me?"

Big Mac started with walking to town, coming clean with the detective about wanting specifically to talk to Rarity about a personal matter. When the detective didn't push, he continued with the story, explaining how he'd knocked on the door and found it open. Then how he'd heard her scream and rushed up the stairs. His voice cracked as he recounted finding her on the floor, naked and bleeding and a man with a knife standing over her.

He was explaining how he'd fought the man when she stirred. A soft whimper from her bed had them all turning, Big Mac's statement all but forgotten. Her eyelids fluttered open and she searched the room frantically through bleary eyes until her gaze fell on Big Mac.

"Mac," she whispered, fear and panic pushing through the medically induced haze. "Wh-where am I?"

Big Mac leaned over and brushed a stray lock of hair from her face. "Shhh, calm down, darlin'. You're in the hospital, but you're ok now. You're ok," he said again softly, almost as if to convince himself more than her.

Starsong reclaimed her position at Rarity's opposite side, once again taking possession of her free hand. "Darling! You're awake! You had us so worried, we didn't know what to think. How are you feeling? Do you need medication, should I call the doctor?"

At the rush of questions from her mother, Rarity wanted nothing more than to lay her head back down and go back to sleep. "I'm fine, mother," she replied politely. Looking around the room, she frowned. "Where's Sweetie?" Her eyes landed on Detective Shield. "And who are you?"

Starsong frowned. "Sweetie Belle is with Sparkle. And there's no need to be rude," she chided, clucking softly. "This nice man here is the detective who is going to catch the maniac who did this to you."

Rarity resisted the urge to roll her eyes. How _could_ she have forgotten her manners? After all, almost dying was no excuse for rudeness, now was it? She clutched Big Mac's hand tightly, drawing strength from his presence.

"Of course, mother. I'm sorry, detective..."

"Gold Shield," the man supplied, moving to stand at the end of the bed. "If you feel up to it, I'd like to ask you a few questions."

"Really, is that necessary?" Starsong interrupted. "She's just woken up, can't it wait?"

Detective Shield resisted the urge to sigh. "I'm sorry, ma'am, but it's really best if we can get everyone's statements as soon as possible, while they're still fresh. The more information we have, the more likely we are to catch the man responsible."

"Mother, it's fine," Rarity smoothly tugged her hand from her mother's grip, fussing with her hair a bit before beginning to pick at the sheet. "I don't remember much, detective."

"That's all right, I'll walk you through it and we'll see what you do remember," he smiled gently and Rarity felt herself relax a bit. "Start with what you did when you closed the shop up for the evening."

"I decided to unwind with a bubble bath, so I locked up the shop and went up to my apartment."

"You're sure you locked up?" the detective interrupted.

Rarity frowned and thought. "Yes, I'm positive. I remember because Opalescence tried to slip out as I was closing the door." Her eyes went wide with sudden fear. "Opal, where's Opal? He didn't hurt her, did he?"

"Your cat's fine, ma'am. We took her to a local shelter. I believe your friend," he checked his notes, "Fluttershy works there?"

Rarity smiled. "Oh. She's in good hands, then. Anyway, where was I?"

"You locked up and went upstairs."

"Right. I started the water, poured in some bubbles and salts and put some music on. Octavia's latest symphony. I was in the bath when he burst in." Her breathing quickened and Big Mac felt her hand tighten in his. "He surprised me, I wasn't sure what was going on. He said something."

Detective Shield's head snapped up from his notes. "He spoke? What did he say?"

Rarity shook her head. "I don't remember. I can't remember." She turned to Big Mac, panic filling her eyes. "Why can't I remember? I should remember, it's important, but I just can't."

Big Mac pressed her hand to his lips. "Shhh, it's ok. You don't need to remember right now." He turned to the detective. "She's not up ta this right now. Can ya'll come back later?"

The detective must have realized he wasn't going to get much more out of his witness, because this time he agreed. After handing Rarity his card with instructions to call as soon as she remembered anything, he said his goodbyes and left.

"Well, I can see you're in...capable hands," Starsong commented after the detective was gone. "I need to get back to Sweetie Belle. She's probably driving poor Sparkle crazy right now. I'll be back later, darling." She leaned over and pressed a kiss to her daughter's cheek. "It was nice to meet you, Big Mac."

"You as well, ma'am."

Starsong laughed, high and lilting. "Please, call me Starsong. It just feels wrong to be so formal with the man who saved my daughter's life."

"Goodnight, Mother. Give Sweetie Belle a kiss for me," Rarity instructed, her eyes already beginning to close. She never even heard the reply as she slipped back into a dreamless sleep.

*****Yes, "Detective Gold Shield" is a horrible name, but I'm hopeless at names, even for regular people. And yes, Rarity has a mother, who knew? At least in my world, lol. Hope you all enjoyed Chapter 8!*****


	9. Chapter 9

"So she's going to be ok?"

"Well, she'll be in the hospital for awhile, but the doctors expect her to make a full recovery."

Twilight was sitting across from Opus at an elegantly placed table, discussing Rarity's recent brush with death. Twilight had tried to cancel, but when she mistakenly mentioned it in front of Rarity, the latter had insisted she keep the date.

_"Don't be ridiculous," she had insisted, indignation filling her eyes. "I won't have you canceling your first date on my account. Go, darling. True love waits for no one!"_

Opus' eyes were wide as she recounted the harrowing tale. "I can't believe someone tried to kill her. Do the police have any leads?"

Twilight shook her head. "None so far. The detective seems to think that a clue or two to the attackers identity may be locked away somewhere in Rarity's mind, but she's not having any luck remembering much about that night."

"Well, the detectives of Shetland Yard are the best in Equestria. If anyone can find this monster, it's them," Opus reassured her with a smile.

Twilight smiled in return. "You're right. Of course you're right. I'm sorry for going on about it. Let's talk about something else."

Opus grinned, his eyes lighting up like dawn at the Summer Sun Celebration. "We just signed a new author, I think you'll truly enjoy his work."

Twilight forced herself to concentrate on the fascinating man across the table from her and, for the next few hours at least, she was able to put pain and fear out of her mind.

* * *

><p>"Big Sis, Big Sis!"<p>

Rarity smiled as Sweetie Belle came running into her room at full tilt, a large balloon trailing her. She was just clambering up into the bed when a sharp command stopped her.

"Sweetie Belle! Is that how ladies act?" Starsong admonished crossly. "Besides, your sister is in pain, you shouldn't bother her so."

Rarity cut a disapproving look in her mother's direction before smiling down at her younger sister, who's trembling bottom lip warned that she was on the verge of tears. "It's all right, darling. You can sit with me if you're careful." Sweetie Belle's face lit up and she carefully joined Rarity in the bed. Starsong rolled her eyes, but refrained from commenting.

Big Mac watched the exchange with a certain fascination. Rarity and Sweetie Belle had the kind of connection usually found between parents and their children - a connection that both sisters seemed to be lacking with their actual mother. He and Apple Jack had the same sort of connection with Apple Bloom, but that was different seeing as how she'd never known their parents. Seeing it in Rarity and Sweetie Belle made him wonder just what kind of mother the beautiful Starsong had been.

He knew of her, of course. She was something of a legend in the small town of Ponyville. Hers was the typical "small town girl makes good" story, though her spectacular fall from grace was probably the larger source of her fame. At nineteen she'd been a rising star in the music world. By her mid 20's she'd had one child out of wedlock and was widely rumored to be using just about every drug available in Equestria. She had still been a darling of the entertainment world until the night she'd very nearly killed herself and her five year old daughter by trying to "fly" out of a second story window. Big Mac recalled that she'd lost custody of Rarity for a few years and wondered if that accounted for the distance he saw between them.

As he watched her with Sweetie Belle, talking and laughing, he wondered as well how much her mother had influenced the person she'd become. Over the past few weeks he'd come to realize she wasn't just beautiful on the outside - she had a beautiful heart as well. She was generous almost to a fault and he wondered if it stemmed, at least in part, from having a mother who was so seemingly self-absorbed. He smiled as he realized how truly precious she was.

The object of his thoughts glanced up from her conversation with Sweetie and caught him smiling and staring. "What?" she mouthed silently over her sister's head. Big Mac shook his head. "Nothing," he mouthed in return.

Starsong watched the exchange silently and intently. Her daughter and a farmer...how interesting.

* * *

><p>An hour or so after Starsong and Sweetie Belle arrived, Detective Gold Shield showed up. "Just a few follow up questions, if you're feeling up to it, ma'am."<p>

Rarity nodded. "Mother, there's a cafeteria a few floors up, I believe. Why don't you and Sweetie Belle go get something to eat," she suggested.

"But darling, I really think I should be here for you," Starsong argued.

Rarity glared at her mother. "It would be a great help to me if you took _Sweetie Belle_," she put a firm emphasis on her younger sister's name, "to get something to eat." Starsong seemed to finally take the hint and led Sweetie Belle from the room a few moments later.

"Now, detective. What can I help you with this afternoon?"

"Well, for starters, I was wondering if you'd had any luck remembering what your attacker said to you?"

Rarity frowned and Big Mac could see her mentally retreating from the conversation. There was something there, something she subconsciously didn't want to remember. "No."

Detective Shield tried to hide his disappointment. He had a feeling that whatever it was she couldn't - or wouldn't - remember had the potential to blow the case wide open. "All right. I want to talk about the weeks leading up to the attack. Do you remember anything out of the ordinary happening? Someone watching you, sending you gifts?"

"Detective, I've already told you everything -" she stopped, her eyes suddenly going wide. "Gifts? Yes, gifts - a rose, to be exact."

"A rose?" Detective Shield asked sharply, every nerve on full alert. "Tell me about the rose."

"It was a black rose. The first one showed up the morning after Twilight's charity banquet. We came downstairs after breakfast on Sunday morning and it was sitting on the front desk."

"What did you do with it?" the detective asked.

"I threw it away. I thought it was just a prank or an admirer who didn't know how to properly woo -"

"Are ya'll fuckin' _kidding_ me?" Big Mac exploded, jumping up and sending his chair toppling backwards. Rarity and Detective Shield both looked at him in shock. "A _prank?_ Someone _broke into_ yer shop sugar, that's a good bit more than a prank."

"Mr. Macintosh, I understand you're upset, but I need for Miss Rarity to finish telling me about the rose." Detective Shield turned back to Rarity. "You said that was the first time. There were others?"

Now refusing to look at Big Mac, Rarity nodded. "One every Sunday leading up to the attack."

"And you never told the police?" Detective Shield asked.

"No. I just...it didn't seem important," she finished feebly.

"_Have you lost your Celestia loving m-m-mind?" _Big Mac roared, his long-oppressed stutter making a return as rage and fear welled up in him.

"Is everything all right in here?" a nurse asked from the door way, glaring at Big Mac.

He took a deep breath and nodded. "Yes ma'am. Sorry." The nurse nodded and left, shooting a stern glance in Big Mac's direction as she did. Big Mac turned back to Rarity who was also glaring at him.

"I realize now that my actions were foolish," she ignored the snort of disbelief and continued, "but that hardly excuses you yelling at me in such a fashion. I believe," she gestured towards her wounded abdomen, "that I've more than learned my lesson on that account, wouldn't you agree?"

With the sudden, painfully concrete reminder of her injuries, Big Mac felt the anger rush out of him, leaving him feeling drained. "You're right, darlin'. I'm sorry I yelled that way."

Rarity held out a hand and he took it gratefully. "It's ok," she said, "I'm sorry I never told anyone. I think I knew it was more than a prank, but I just couldn't let myself think like that. These kinds of things only happen in movies, right? It just...didn't seem real, in a way."

"Ma'am, this type of thing happens more than you'd care to know. And if you don't mind, there's something you really need to know."


	10. Chapter 10

_"There's something you really need to know."_

The detectives words buzzed in Rarity's ears as she watched him pace the tiny hospital room. Then he stopped and looked at her and she knew her world would never be the same.

"A few years ago," he began, his tone flat and brisk, "the Yard began investigating a series of murders." Ignoring her soft gasp, he continued. "At first these murders had very little in common other than the women were exceptionally beautiful and their last meals were always the same: beef Wellington, a side of greens, red wine and a few bites of creme brulee. When we began digging further, however, we discovered that nearly all of the women had made complaints to the local police about someone leaving a black rose on their doorstep every week for about a month or so leading up to the murder. Those who didn't complain, we discovered, mentioned the rose to someone in their inner circle." He debated on how much more to tell her. There was a fine line between arming someone with facts and overloading them with information. "We never released the information about the rose to the media, for several reasons."

"So what do we do?" Big Mac asked bluntly.

"We set up surveillance. He'll come back, there's no doubt in my mind. This is not the type of guy who's going to shrug off a setback like this. He'll come for you," he nodded at Rarity, "and he won't be happy when he does. Is there someone you can stay with until this is all over? Your mother, perhaps?"

Rarity considered for a moment, but quickly dismissed the idea. "Absolutely not. At the very least, I refuse to put Sweetie Belle in such a dangerous situation."

"She'll stay with me, at the farm," Big Mac declared.

"Mac, no. I won't even consider it. I said I won't put my own family at risk and the same goes for yours," Rarity argued.

"There's nowhere safer than Sweet Apple Acres, sugar. I may be a simple farm boy, but I know how to protect my kin. And we've got plenty of room, so don't you go worryin' 'bout that." He turned to Shield. "Whaddya ya'll think?"

The detective considered it. "Is it just your family there, or do you have workers?"

"We just hired some men last year. Orchard's gotten too big for jus' us to handle anymore."

"You trust them?"

Mac nodded. "Wouldn't have hired them if I didn't."

Shield addressed Rarity. "It may be your best option, ma'am. He's always gone after women living by themselves. All those people around may scare him off for good, if you stay there awhile."

She shook her head stubbornly. "I have cousins in Manehattan, I can stay there until you catch him."

"And what about yer business?" Big Mac shot back. "You can't just leave it behind for a few weeks, or however long it takes to catch 'im. And what if they never catch him? Will you just never come home then?" he argued.

"Big Mac, that's..." Ridiculous, she wanted to say. But she had to admit that he had a point. Was she just going to uproot her entire life over this?

"Ok," she conceded, holding up a hand when he grinned in triumph. "But _only_if Apple Jack is ok with it. I won't have this coming between the two of you."

He looked insulted that she'd even mentioned it. "Of course, sugar. I'll go talk to her and come back this evenin' so we can talk with the doctors 'bout gettin' you released." He leaned over and pressed a kiss to her lips, soft and gentle. Even laying in a hospital bed recovering from a murder attempt the man could make her blood boil with a single kiss. How by Celestia's sun was she going to survive living with him?

"I'll walk you out," Detective Shield offered and the two men left together.

Outside of her room, Big Mac stopped him. "Seemed to me like ya'll were holdin' something back in there. What was it?"

The detective studied him a moment then turned to walk away, gesturing for him to follow. "This is no ordinary predator we're dealing with. He's unlike anyone we've come up against before and frankly, the Yard is rather lost at how to apprehend him. What I was avoiding telling Miss Rarity was exactly what he does to his victims that sets him apart. I can't tell you all of the details because of the highly sensitive nature of the case but what I will say is, if he ever left one of these women alive after he was done with them...I can almost guarantee they'd rather be dead."

He watched Mac closely as he spoke, impressed when the farmer's eyes hardened with resolve, even though his face had paled a bit.

"If you don't mind, Mac, I'd like to come by and check out your place. I'm sure you have good security, but another pair of eyes always helps in situations like this."

"Sure thing, detective. Can you come by in 'bout an hour? That'll give me time to talk to my sister about all this."

Detective Shield agreed and the two men parted ways.

* * *

><p>Big Mac found her in the orchard, picking apples. It wasn't quite harvesting season, but there were always a few that ripened early. He stopped under the tree she had climbed into, watching her for awhile. His little sister, all grown up. There were moments, like this, where he missed the little girl she'd been. Begging to tag along with him and his friends on one of their "adventures" or challenging him to a contest to prove that she was just as big and grown up as he was.<p>

She spotted him watching her before he had a chance to speak. She swung expertly from a strong limb and dropped to the ground in a move that would have made Rainbow Dash jealous. "Hey big brother," she greeted him, grinning the cockeyed smile he'd seen on her face countless times.

In that moment, he had his very first doubts about what he was suggesting. The idea of that maniac touching a hair on her or Apple Bloom's head filled him with dread. He felt strongly that Rarity would be safest with him, but maybe he should see about taking her somewhere, getting them both away from the people they loved. Maybe -

"Umm...did ya'll need somethin' or are ya just gonna stand there and stare at me like I've got three heads all day?" she asked, snapping him out of his thoughts.

He forced a smile and flicked her hat, causing it to fall backwards off her head. She clutched at it, glaring at him.

"I jus' got home from the hospital," he answered and her expression immediately softened.

"How is she?"

"Better. Awake, alert, talking." He hesitated, searching for the right words to explain what he was about to ask of her. "Thing is...she's gonna need somewhere to stay for a bit. She -"

"Say no more," AJ cut him off. "O' course she can stay here, as long as she needs! Not like we don' have 'nuff room. Maybe she can even keep Apple Bloom occupied durin' tha harvest this year." She chuckled. "Keep her from fallin' out o' a tree again."

He almost left it at that. Telling her the rest would just worry her. And with harvest season coming up, she didn't need to be distracted.

But then again, this was AJ he was talking about. The most honest person he'd ever known. If she discovered he'd lied to her, it would hurt her more than any knife ever could.

"I'm sure she'll be mighty appreciative AJ, but there's a bit more to it than that." Taking a deep breath, he explained the situation as best he could.

The emotions in her eyes shifted as he relayed the information the detective had shared, but her gaze never wavered from his face. When he finished, she continued to study him for awhile, as if searching for something.

"Well," she puffed out her cheeks and blew out a long breath as he finished. "Seems Rarity's gotten herself into quite the pickle, ain't she? Ya'll really think this is the best way? Bringin' her here?" He nodded. "All right. I trust ya, Big Mac, always have."

He nearly sighed with relief. He hadn't even realized that he'd been worried about her reaction until now, when he realized he'd never had a reason to worry. His sister was perhaps the most dependable friend a body could have. "Thanks, AJ. I'm gonna head back to the office for a few hours, work on the books a bit. Ya'll wanna head back to the hospital with me this evenin'?"

"Sure, jus' give me a heads up so I can wash up a bit. Rarity'll have a cow iffin' I show up all dirty-like," she teased, grinning.

He chuckled and turned to walk away. Hesitantly, he turned back to see her examing a different tree. "AJ?" he called.

"Yea?" she answered, not turning from her inspection.

"You know I love you, right?" He wasn't quite able to keep the emotion from creeping into his voice.

She turned then and smiled, full and bright. "I know. I love you too, big brother."


	11. Chapter 11

Three days later, Rarity was cleared to go home. Or, in this case, to Sweet Apple Acres. She still couldn't quite believe she'd let Big Mac talk her into this. People were going to talk. She and AJ would drive each other crazy inside a week. Not to mention a maniac stalker who would most likely try to return and finish the job he'd started in her apartment.

As the carriage pulled up in front of the old farmhouse, she spotted three figures on the porch. Apple Jack, Apple Bloom and Granny Smith were all there, waiting to greet her. As a family. The show of solidarity touched her and she had to blink away tears of gratitude. The carriage rolled to a stop and Big Mac hopped out, running around to the side to help her down.

When they reached the porch, she stopped and pulled AJ into a gentle hug. "Thank you," she whispered in her friend's ear.

AJ pulled back and smiled. "'Tweren't nothin', sugarcube. You just worry 'bout gettin' better, ya hear?"

Rarity nodded and turned to Granny Smith. "Thank you for your hospitality, Mrs. Apple. I'll try not to be too much trouble."

The wizened old woman winked at her. "I'm sure mah grandson will take care of ya jus' fine, young lady," she replied slyly, her voice shaking a bit with age.

Rarity felt the blush warm her cheeks. "Well, I...thank you, all the same," she said faintly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw AJ attempting to smother a laugh.

"Big Mac," Apple Bloom chimed in, "Why don'cha jus' kiss her boo-boo and make it all better?"

AJ was now doubled over with silent laughter. "Yea, big brother," she gasped, "jus' kiss it an' make it better."

Apple Bloom placed her tiny fists on her hips and glared at her older sister. "Wha's so funny?" she demanded. "It works!"

AJ quickly brought her laughter under control and hugged the littlest Apple. "Of course it does, sugarcube. It was a good idea." She looked over at Big Mac, mirth still dancing in her eyes. "Wasn't it, big brother?"

Big Mac shot her a fierce look. "Don't you have apples to pick, _little sis_?"

AJ shook her head happily. "Nope. Went out and did mah rounds this mornin' so I could be here to help Rarity get settled. Unless, ah, ya'll would prefer..."

Still blushing hotly at the swirling innuendo, Rarity turned to Apple Bloom. "Darling, would you like to show me my room? I'm rather exhausted and your brother and sister seem a tad busy at the moment." She held out a hand and Apple Bloom clasped it excitedly.

"Sure thing, Miss Rarity! Don'cha worry 'bout them, they're always like that." She led the way inside, chattering happily. Rarity shot a smug look over her shoulder as she allowed herself to be tugged inside.

"I like her," Granny Smith commented, slowly following the pair inside. "Got spunk, that one does."

Still glowering, Big Mac flicked AJ's hat off her head before heading for his office, deciding he'd just check on Rarity when his family wasn't around. AJ watched the retreating figure with a growing curiosity, then went inside to see if Rarity needed anything.

Later that evening, Rarity heard a soft knock at her bedroom door. "Come in," she called, pushing herself into a sitting position with a slight wince.

Big Mac poked his head in, searching the room, and she laughed. "It's safe, you can come in."

He did so, closing the door behind him. "How ya feelin'? Your room ok? AJ brought some stuff over from your place, but if you need anything else, we can go get it. I know it's not as fancy as yer used to, but..." Realizing he was babbling, he let the sentence trail off.

Rarity smiled at his awkwardness. "It's perfect. Your sisters made me very comfortable." She gestured to the armchair positioned at the foot of the bed. "Sit, darling, you're making me nervous."

He complied and the two chatted for awhile about their days. After a moment of silence, Rarity asked the question she'd been wondering about since the attack.

"Big Mac...why were you at my shop so late that night?"

The sudden change of topics surprised him. He blushed, remembering exactly what had brought him to her door that night. "Well...I wanted to apologize," he confessed.

Her eyes went wide with confusion. "Apologize? Whatever for?"

"Ahhh, well. For earlier that day. When I, uh, kissed you."

He watched as her eyes narrowed dangerously. "You wanted to apologize for kissing me?"

"No! Well, yea, if you wanted me to. But I wanted to apologize for leavin' right after. It ain't right for a fella to kiss a lady like that an' take off."

She tilted her head, eyes still narrowed as she studied him. "And if I wanted you to apologize for kissing me?"

His heart sank as he wondered if he'd jumped to conclusions about her, about how she felt. "Well...I'd be awful sorry you didn't want me to kiss you." He paused, then forged ahead, laying it out for her. "Because it was one of the best moments of my life."

Her expression softened. "I was hoping you'd say that. Now," she carefully lowered her legs to the floor and crossed the short distance to him, settling herself on his lap, "why don't we see if we can't top it." With that, she wrapped her arms around his neck and settled her lips on his.

Unlike the first time, this kiss began with heat and passion, igniting within them both as their lips touched. Need and longing welled up within him and he had a moment to wonder if he'd ever get enough of her. Then she shifted, deepening the kiss and all coherent thought fled his mind.

He tightened his grip on her, pulling her close, and she hissed in pain. He mentally kicked himself at his thoughtlessness and quickly released her. She was still recovering from being stabbed and what did he do? He acted like a horny teenager who couldn't control his hormones.

"I'm sorry, sugar. You ok?"

She smiled, pressing a hand to her stomach. "I'm fine. But I suppose we should wait until I've healed a bit before trying that again." She stood, her smile turning coy as she lifted the edge of her shirt. "For now you have to kiss it and make it better, just as Apple Bloom said."

Grinning, he rested his hands on her hips and gently pressed his lips to the bandaged area.

"Big Mac, are you -" Apple Jack came bursting through the bedroom door. She pulled up short at the sight of her brother with his lips on Rarity's stomach. "Ahhh...ya'll know we were jus' kiddin' about that, right?" she said with a smirk as the two practically jumped apart.

Big Mac managed to look annoyed and embarrassed at the same time. "Apple Jack, haven't ya learned how ta knock yet?" he asked.

"Obviously, she has not," Rarity commented, smoothing the front of her shirt down.

AJ poked her tongue out at the pair. "I came up to tell ya'll dinner's on the table. O' course, I could just tell Granny Smith yer too busy..."

"We'll be down in a minute, ya damn nosy woman," Big Mac growled. "Now git."

"All right, all right, I'm gittin." She left, whistling happily.

"And knock next time!" he called after her. "Brat," he muttered, eliciting a giggle from Rarity. "Sorry 'bout that. I thought she'd have more sense, what with havin' a guest an' all."

"It's perfectly fine. I have a younger sister as well, you know. Shall we go down to dinner?"

"Ee-yup. The longer we're up here, the more ammunition AJ gets." He stood and held a hand out to her. When she took it, he locked gazes with her. "I'm glad you're here, Rarity."

She stepped forward and kissed him tenderly. "So am I."

With their hands still entwined, they made their way downstairs.

* * *

><p>"And then, Scootaloo jumped over the crick on her scooter! It was awesome!"<p>

Apple Bloom was animatedly telling them all about her adventures with Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo that day. Listening to her, Rarity suddenly missed her little sister. She made a note to talk to Big Mac about having Sweetie Belle over for a few days once she'd healed up a bit more. Scootaloo, too, perhaps.

"Big Mac, can I have a scooter for my birthday, pretty please?" Apple Bloom switched from storytelling to begging in the space of a heartbeat, in that way that only young children can do.

"Uhhh...we'll see," he replied, shooting a glance at AJ who was silently mouthing "NO" from across the table. He imagined that they were both having visions of the many different bones she could break with such a thing. To say that Apple Bloom was uncoordinated was being polite.

"That means no. You and AJ say that when ya'll mean no," the youngest Apple pouted.

"Maybe next year, sugarcube," Apple Jack interjected. "After all, yer party's in two days. We already got yer presents."

Apple Bloom lit up. "You did? Can I have them now?"

Apple Jack started to tell her no, but Big Mac cut in. "Actually, there is one you can have after dinner. IF," he interrupted her excited squeal, "you eat everything, lil' lady."

After dinner, Rarity and the younger Apples moved to the living room. Granny Smith retired to her room for the evening, while Big Mac disappeared upstairs. He reappeared a few minutes later, carrying a garment bag from the Carousel Boutique. When she spotted him, Apple Bloom's eyes went wide and she gasped with delight.

"Close your eyes," he ordered playfully. When she did, he unzipped the bag and removed the dress. "Ok, open."

Apple Bloom's eyes popped open and she gasped again, this time with wonder. The dress was a pale yellow, with a red ribbon tied around the waist. Tiny apples adorned the bottom edge and the entire thing was trimmed in green lace. It was, if Rarity did say so herself, some of her best work. She always put 110% into any of her creations, but this one had been special. She had wanted Big Mac to be able to give his sister something unique, something made just for her. Seeing the look on Apple Bloom's face, she was sure she'd accomplished exactly that.

"Why don' you go try it on, so Miss Rarity can see how it fits," Big Mac suggested, passing the dress to Rarity who took Apple Bloom by the hand and allowed herself to be led to the littlest Apple's room.

AJ was giving Big Mac a curious look. "What?" he asked uncomfortably.

"Nothin'...jus' doesn't seem like your usual gift," she commented with a shrug.

"Whaddya mean?" he asked defensively.

AJ laughed. "Big Mac, last year for Christmas ya'll gave me a new harness for Alice, Apple Bloom got a mini tool set and Granny Smith got a new stew pot. Yer gifts tend to be more sensible-like."

"Oh. Well, it was a trade, one set of services for another." He watched as AJ's eyes went wide in horror.

"Big Mac, I do _not_ need to know those kinds of things!" she groaned.

"What kind of things? I fixed a crack in her ceilin' an' some other stuff 'round the Boutique. What did you..." Now it was _his_ turn to be horrified. "How in tarnation did you even...what kind of...NO!"

"No, what?" Rarity asked from behind him. Apple Bloom was bouncing next to her, excited to show off her party dress.

"Err, nothin', sugar," he turned his attention to his youngest sister. "You look beautiful, darlin'! Give us a twirl." Apple Bloom happily complied, spinning around the room a few times before crashing into the coffee table. Unfazed, she continued to dance around the room until Big Mac told her it was time to get ready for bed. With only a little whining, she allowed AJ to lead her upstairs to change.

"She loves it! I'm so happy she loves it," Rarity was positively beaming.

"Well, it's a right beautiful dress. She should love it," Mac replied, grinning. "You really have a knack for that, makin' things that make people feel special. I remember AJ's duds for the gala last year...I still see her dancin' 'round the house in 'em every so often."

Rarity looked up at him in surprise. "Really? That's..." she searched for the right word. "Fabulous!" she laughed. "Absolutely fabulous." Then she yawned and Big Mac chuckled.

"Looks like Apple Bloom's not the only one ready for bed," he commented teasingly, earning him a playful swat on the shoulder.

"I am a bit tired," Rarity conceded. "Still not back to full power. Oh, but I promised AJ I'd help with the dishes..."

"Don' you worry none about that. She'll understand." He took her hand and headed for the stairs. "You need yer sleep, sugar." Too tired to argue, she followed him up the stairs.

*****Ok so...tell me what ya'll think so far. Rarity moving into SAA may not actually make the most sense, but I needed that to happen. Still, I'm curious to know what my readers think so far :) Steaminess and drama coming soon!*****


	12. Chapter 12

****Steaminess warning! I haven't written a scene like this in years, so I hope I did it justice :) If you're offended by, or just don't like sexiness, I suggest skipping this chapter.****

She wasn't sleeping. He could take one look at her and tell she wasn't, or at least not very much. She'd taken her last round of pain medications a week ago and since then, he'd watched as the life seemed to slip out of her a little every day. One morning while watching her move lethargically around the kitchen, he recalled Pinkie's warning to him in the hospital. Her warning that Rarity would need him, not just to protect her physically, but to help her heal mentally and emotionally. At least, he thought that was what she'd meant.

Keeping that in mind, he went looking for Apple Jack. As it was morning, he found her in the stables, feeding the horses. "Hey sis," he called as he came up behind her.

"Hey, big brother. What brings ya'll out here? Thought ya'd be hunkered down in yer office, sweatin' the books," she teased, expertly and easily tossing hay over the door to Alice, the light tan mare she favored.

He decided to cut to the chase. "I'm worried 'bout Rarity. I don' think she's slept a wink since they took her off those pain meds."

"Yea, I noticed that too. An' I was wonderin' when ya'll were gonna get around to doin' somethin' about it." She turned and shot him a look before moving onto the next stall.

He glared at her back. "Ya know, AJ, sometimes yer too damn honest."

"Jus' sayin' what needed ta be said. Granny Smith packed ya'll a picnic yesterday, why don' you take her out for a ride, show her the orchard? Take a blanket, have lunch, see if ya'll can't give her mind some peace for awhile."

"Seems as if ya'll done thought of everythin'," he commented sarcastically. "Whaddya need me for?"

"Because," she shot back, "Granny Smith's too old and as much as I love my friends, I don't _love_ my friends, if you catch my meanin'."

It took him a moment, but he eventually did "catch her meaning". Grumbling to himself about meddlesome females, he set off in search of Rarity.

A few hours later, the two of them were settled underneath an old apple tree, the remnants of Granny Smith's feast scattered around them. As much as he hated to admit it (for the sheer fact that he hated when his sister was right about anything), this seemed to be just the thing they'd both needed. He hadn't even realized how much stress he'd been carrying around the past few weeks until he felt himself beginning to relax. The long lunch seemed to be having a similar affect on Rarity; she was stretched out on the blanket next to him, giggling at the story he was telling about AJ as a little girl.

"So then, she climbs _up_ on the roof of the house, this table cloth tied around her neck, and jumps," he laughed at the memory. "I thought dad was gonna take the skin right off my hide. He almost did, too, once they got back from the hospital. I was a lot more careful 'bout darin' her to do things after that."

"You almost sound proud of her," Rarity observed, turning her face towards him. He was glad to see the stress in her eyes was gone, even if it was just for a little while.

"I was. I was mighty impressed with my little sister after that stunt. Though if you ever tell her that, I'll deny it with my dyin' breath. Girl's got enough ego to spare as it is."

"Oh, I don't know. I think she would be thrilled to know how much her big brother looked up to her after she nearly broke her neck trying to impress him," she bantered.

"Hold on now, I never said all that!" he protested, sitting up. "I said I was impressed, not that I idolized her or nothin'. That's her job, I'm the big brother."

"Well, you may not have _said_ it darling, but – ahhh! Stop!" she shrieked with laughter as he launched himself at her, tickling her mercilessly.

"What did you say? More?" he continued tickling her until she was out of breath from laughter. When he finally stopped, he stretched back out beside her. No sooner had he settled than she rolled and was on top of him, straddling him.

"Thank you for this, Mac," she said sincerely, her violet eyes locked with his. She lowered her head and brushed her lips against his, sighing softly. "I needed this." The her lips were crushed against his, hot and frenzied. He lost himself in her for awhile before coming back to himself.

"You sure your up to this, sugar?" he asked, pushing her away just enough to look her in the eye.

To his surprise, she smirked. "Mac, darling, the doctor cleared me to resume my 'usual activities' a week ago. I'm more than ready."

That was all he needed to hear. Skillfully, he switched their positions so that he was pinning her to the soft ground. He captured her mouth again, slowly and leisurely this time. The heat was still there, but it was more of a steady burn than the blaze they'd experienced a moment ago. His hand snaked under her shirt and settled on her breast. She gasped when he began to gently massage her through the material of her bra, arching her back to meet his touch.

He chuckled against her lips. "Not so fast, sugar. We're gonna take this nice and slow." He was true to his word as he continued to torture her, tugging the undergarment down a bit and stroking her bare flesh. Finding the small nub there, he rolled the sensitive flesh expertly between two fingers, eliciting soft mewling sounds from her. He paused just long enough to tug her shirt over her head and free her from the confines of her bra before replacing his skillful fingers with his mouth, sucking gently. Desire coursed through her, and she came alive under his touch as he paid homage to each breast, touching and teasing, pushing her higher and higher.

He reveled in the feel of her soft, ivory skin beneath his hands. In the taste of her, strong and feminine as he used tongue and teeth to drive her crazy. Deciding he'd tormented her enough, he knelt between her legs and tugged her jeans down the curve of her hips, the long length of her legs. Tossing them aside, he did the same with the lacy concoction she laughingly called underwear. Pushing her legs apart a bit more, he lazily traced the length of her thigh with his hand, down further and further until he was cupping her. He flicked a thumb over the sensitive nub he found there and watched her face as her eyes went wide and dark with desire. His eyes locked on her face, he pushed a single finger in, delighted when she gasped and threw her head back, pushing against his hand. Slowly, tortuously, he drew her up and up, to the edge of the peak. With a practiced touch, he kept her there, teetering on the edge for a long while before letting her fly.

Sensation flooded her, wracking her body with tremors as he pushed her over the edge. Just as her nerves began to calm, he was igniting them again, pushing her once more towards the peak. And once more, up and over, scraping over already raw nerves. Then he was there, inside of her, stretching and filling her. She wasn't sure when he'd removed his own clothes and she rightly didn't care. She joined him in the slow, easy pace, lifting her hips to meet his thrusts. This time, when she went over the edge, he flew with her.

Sometime later she realized that he was still on top of her, his head resting on her chest. She smiled and ran a finger through his thick blond hair. She couldn't remember ever being so _relaxed_. And by the looks of things, he was in much the same state as she.

Unfortunately, as much as she enjoyed their current positions, she was finding it hard to breathe. "Mac," she nudged his shoulder. No response. "Mac," louder this time, shoving instead of nudging. "Wake up you big dolt."

"Not asleep, sugar," came the drowsy response. She snorted disbelievingly.

"If you're not sleeping, then would you be so kind as to _get off of me so I can breathe._"

He rolled, pulling her up against him. "Sorry 'bout that, sugar," he apologized sleepily.

Wrapping herself around him, with her head resting on his broad chest, she dropped into sleep. And, for the first time in days, she slept soundly.


	13. Chapter 13

Over the next few weeks, Rarity resumed what could be called a relatively normal life. She reopened the shop (in style, thanks to Pinkie Pie's fabulous party-planning skills), spent time with her friends, and enjoyed the loving of a good man. There were moments, then hours, then entire days when she forgot about the danger lurking just out of sight. But then a twinge in her stomach or a strange noise would remind her and the fear would come rushing back.

The most notable change in her life was probably that she was never really alone. Big Mac always walked her to and from the shop and she spent the evenings either learning to knit from Granny Smith or helping Apple Bloom with her homework or joining AJ for a night with the girls. And almost every night, Big Mac joined her in her bed. The strange thing was, she really didn't mind. She'd thought she'd go crazy without her own space and no time to herself, but she found that she looked forward to all of those little moments. She still had the occasional sleepless night, but as time went on, they grew less frequent.

And now, it was apple picking season. She'd only participated once before, when Big Mac had been injured and AJ had attempted to harvest the entire crop herself, working herself to exhaustion. Shortly after that, Mac had insisted on hiring a few men to help out around the farm. There was still more than enough work to go around however, so Rarity and the rest of the girls had offered to help again this year. Much to their relief, AJ had readily accepted their offer.

They'd been working hard all morning and were currently taking a well-deserved lunch break. AJ and Rarity were sitting with Pinkie, Twilight, Fluttershy and Dash, enjoying one of Granny Smith's wonderful home cooked meals, talking and laughing. At the moment, Twilight was gushing about the weekend she'd just spent with Opus at his cabin in the mountains.

"And our last night there, he prepared a gorgeous candle light dinner for us and we spent the evening laying in front of the fire place – you girls wouldn't believe how cold it gets up there this time of year – talking and, oh, um," her caramel complexion darkened as a tell tale blush rose to her cheeks.

Her friends laughed and teased her playfully. "Really darling," Rarity spoke up as the laughter died down, "we couldn't be happier for you. It's fantastic to see you falling so head over heels in love."

Twilight sighed happily. "It's fantastic to _be_ in love. I can't believe how lucky I am. I have a job I love, friends whom I adore and a full-blown romance with this wonderful, educated, successful man."

"What about you, Rare?" Pinkie Pie asked, turning to her violet haired friend.

"I...what about me?" Rarity replied, confused.

"Are you enjoying being in love?"

The question caught her off guard. Sure, she and Big Mac enjoyed each other's company and the sex was mind-blowingly fabulous. But love? Just then, she was distracted by her sister's high pitched giggle. Turning, she saw the man in question with Sweetie Bell, Apple Bloom and Scootaloo climbing all over him in some sort of game. Her heart did a slow, delicious roll in her chest at the sight and her eyes went wide with surprise.

"Oh," she breathed softly, turning back to her friends, who were all watching her expectantly. "How did you...how long have you all known? And how did you know before I did?" she asked breathlessly.

Twilight was the first to speak. "I figured it out when you opened the door that day he was coming over to fix your ceiling. I've never seen you in such a state and I thought it had to be more than some childhood crush." In turn, each of the friends explained when and how they'd figured it out. Except for AJ who remained suspiciously quiet during the entire conversation.

When lunch was over and the group set off for the orchard once again, Rarity held AJ back for a moment. "Are you ok with...this?" she gestured vaguely in the direction Big Mac had headed.

AJ blew out a long breath. "Rarity, I'm gonna be completely honest with you." Rarity smiled; AJ didn't know how to be anything _but_ completely honest. "At first, it didn't make one lick o' sense to me. Ya'll are so damn fussy and Big Mac, well, he's a simple kinda guy. Our whole family is, really. I worried that you'd get frustrated with that and leave him broken hearted. But," she continued, holding up a hand to silence Rarity's objections, "when I thought about it, really thought about it, it made perfect sense. He's got the biggest heart o' anyone I know and if he's gonna give it away, I'd rather it be to someone with jus' as big a heart. So, with that in mind, I can't imagine him bein' with anyone other than you."

Tears in her eyes, Rarity threw her arms around AJ's neck and the two hugged each other tightly. "So, um, do you think he feels the same way?" Rarity asked when they separated and began walking back towards the orchard.

AJ laughed, long and loud. "Sugarcube, are you kiddin' me? That man's been hopelessly in love with ya'll for years. He used to ask about ya, all casual like when I would talk about going out with 'the girls'. I don' know if he even knew it, but I caught on after the first few times. Then when I saw him with ya'll at the hospital...I knew he was a goner."

Rarity stopped in her tracks, shocked by AJ's revelation, while AJ continued walking. Without stopping, she called out behind her, "By the way, I'd love some nieces and nephews. So if ya'll could get started on that right quick, I'd be most appreciative." Grinning, she left a stunned Rarity behind her.

* * *

><p>Later that night, Rarity found she couldn't sleep for her racing thoughts. Carefully, so as not to wake Big Mac, she slipped out of bed and into her favorite pink robe. She made her way down the stairs of the old farm house to the living room as quietly as possible and settled into the oversized armchair Big Mac seemed to favor. Curling up with her chin on her knees, she allowed herself to wonder what a life with him would be like. For awhile she simply sat and imagined a year, five years, twenty years into the future. Marrying him, bearing his children, raising those children in the same house he'd been raised in. Watching little Apple Bloom grow into a teenager and then a woman. Now that she took the time to consider the possibility, she was a surprised by how strongly she wanted that possibility to become her reality.<p>

A noise from the kitchen startled her out of her musings. Nerves on high alert, she sat straight in the chair and watched the doorway expectantly. Another noise, a little louder this time, followed by a high-pitched swear. Breathing a sigh of relief, she went to see what Apple Bloom was doing out of bed at such an hour.

"Darling, I don't believe your brother and sister would appreciate such language," she scolded lightly, standing in the doorway to the moon-lit kitchen. Apple Bloom jumped and spun to face the intruder.

"Sorry, Miss Rarity. Ya'll won' tell, will ya?" she asked, her eyes wide and her bottom lip trembling dangerously.

"You needn't use the face on me. Now, what are you doing out of bed so late?"

Apple Bloom scuffed a bare foot on the tile of the kitchen floor. "Can't sleep," she mumbled.

Rarity smiled. "Me neither. Is something bothering you, sweetheart?"

"If I tell ya, ya gotta promise not ta tell anyone. They'll think I'm a baby and I'm not a baby!" Apple Bloom punctuated the statement by stomping a foot and crossing her arms, glaring at the floor.

"My lips are sealed. Now, what's wrong?" Pulling the robe close against her body, she knelt in front of the littlest Apple, so that they were eye level.

Apple Bloom looked up with tear filled eyes. "There's a monster in mah room," she whispered, so quietly Rarity almost didn't hear her.

"A monster? What does he look like?" she asked seriously.

"He's big an' green with big red horns an' big scary claws. He hides in mah closet an' he won' go away."

"Well, that simply won't do," Rarity declared, standing. "And I know just the thing to help." Apple Bloom gratefully slipped her tiny hand into Rarity's outstretched one. Together, they made their way back to her room. There, they found the closet door open just a crack. Rarity turned to her small companion and smiled reassuringly. "You go sit on your bed and I'll take care of the monster, ok darling?" Apple Bloom nodded and raced to her bed, clambering under the covers.

Rarity marched over to the closet and yanked it open, staring inside as though studying its contents intently. After a moment, she let out a giggle.

"Wha's so funny?" Apple Bloom demanded from her spot in bed.

"Oh darling, do you _see_ those horns? Simply garish! Really, he looks quite ridiculous, don't you think?"

Apple Bloom craned her head around, peering into the dark space. "I dunno...he still looks mighty scary ta me."

"Well, that's because you simply don't have the right attitude. Would you like me to teach you a song a dear friend taught me that chases away all the scary things?" Rarity offered. Apple Bloom nodded vigorously.

"Miss Pinkie taught me this song awhile ago, and I've remembered it ever since. She said that her Granny Pie would tell her that hiding from your fears is no way to deal with them. Instead, you have to laugh at them, to make them disappear." Rarity took a breath and sang, soft and sweet.

_"So giggle at the ghosty,  
>Guffaw at the grossly,<br>Crack up at the creepy,  
>Whoop it up with the weepy,<br>Chortle at the pukey,  
>Snortle at the spooky<em>

_And tell that big dumb scary face to take a hike and leave you alone and if he thinks he can scare you then he's got another thing coming and the very idea of such a thing just make you wanna...hahahaha...laugh!"_

By the time Rarity finished the short song, complete with a silly dance, Apple Bloom had dissolved into giggles on her bed. Rarity joined her and the two lay on the bed, laughing for a long while.

"Now," Rarity began when their giggles had subsided. "Why don't we go see if that ridiculous monster is still in your closet, shall we?" Pushing up off the bed she moved to the closet and flung the door open wide.

Apple Bloom gasped. "He's gone! It worked, Miss Rarity! Thank you!" Jumping off the bed, she ran over and threw her arms around Rarity's waist.

Rarity returned the embrace. "Of course it did, darling! I wouldn't lie to you. Now, why don't I read you a story so you can get back to sleep?"

"Ok!" Apple Bloom pulled a book off her bookshelf and handed it to Rarity before climbing into bed. Before they were even half way through the book, Apple Bloom had drifted back off to sleep. Pressing a kiss to the sleeping child's forehead, Rarity tucked her in and quietly exited the room. Turning, she smothered a scream as she bumped into a tall, solid form.

"Big Mac, you nearly gave me a heart attack!" Pressing a hand to her heart, she glared up at him. "What do you think you're doing, sneaking around like that?" she hissed.

"I woke up and you were gone. I went lookin' for ya an' heard ya singin' to Apple Bloom." He pressed her against the wall and in the dim light, she saw a raw, naked need in his eyes. "And I realized something: I'm completely in love with you." His voice shook with emotion and he pressed his forehead to hers, closing his eyes. "I think I've known for awhile...but just now, it hit me. I realized I wanted to see you singing to our children, easing their fears in the middle of the night. I want to fall asleep with you every night and wake up with you every morning. I want to grow old with you in this house. Whaddya say, sugar? Make a life with me, here at the farm?"

Rarity could barely speak through the pounding in her chest. Could it really be that simple? Could she, with one word, make the life she'd been dreaming of a reality. In a flash, she realized she could. That, regardless of what had come before, or what would come after, they had everything they needed to make it work. "Yes," she whispered. "Absolutely, yes."


	14. Chapter 14

*****Ok ya'll, it's about to get really dark up in this chapter. Fair warning.*****

"How on earth did I let you talk me into this?" Rarity wondered aloud, picking bits of hay out of her previously pristine hair.

Behind her, Big Mac chuckled. "There wasn't a whole lotta talkin' involved, way I remember it," he drawled.

She shot him a look over her shoulder. "You know very well what I meant, Mr. Macintosh. I hope you appreciate the sacrifices I make to feed your lust."

Sitting up, he pressed a kiss to her bare shoulder. "Don't you know what that prissy tone does to me, woman?" He continued to trail kisses up her neck, snaking an arm around her waist.

"Mac, stop. They'll be looking for us." Her argument lost its effectiveness when her head dropped back against him and she let out a soft sigh. His hand left her and she opened her eyes, frowning. "Now listen, you cannot just - oh." There, in front of her was a small black box. With a flick of his thumb, he opened the lid, and she gasped softly. The ring was old, but beautiful. A tasteful diamond sparkled up at her, surrounded by small rubies, all nestled in white gold.

"It was my mother's," he explained. "I was gonna wait, take you out somewhere nice. But...seeing you here, with hay in your hair, it jus' seemed like the right time." He shifted so that he could look her in the eyes. "I told you I wanted a life with you, Rarity, and I meant it. Marry me?"

She looked down at the ring and then back up at him. "Of course." She laughed and kissed him, full and hard. "Of course I'll marry you." Her hands trembled a bit as he slipped the ring easily onto her left hand.

"Perfect fit," he said, raising his gaze to hers. "Perfect."

Capturing her lips in an achingly tender kiss, he laid her back on the hay once again, running his hands over her, reigniting the fire that was never far from the surface. "So beautiful," he murmured. "My beautiful bride."

Her entire body went rigid under his hands. "What is it?" he asked, concerned. "Somethin' I said?"

She looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "I know who attacked me," she whispered. "I remember."

* * *

><p>Less than an hour later, they were sitting at the dining room table with Detective Shield as Rarity recounted what she remembered.<p>

"When he came through the door, he called me his bride. He said 'My bride. At long last, my beautiful bride'. And then I screamed and he lunged at me. I...I jumped out of the tub and tried to run past him. That's when he stabbed me."

"And you're sure about the voice?" the detective asked, scribbling notes on his pad. "This is a very powerful man you're accusing, Miss Rarity. I need you to be absolutely sure about this before I move on it."

"I'm certain, detective. Mac said something similar, after asking me to marry him and I guess it jogged my memory. Please, you have to find him," she pleaded. "Before he hurts someone else. Before he hurts -" her voice broke and she gripped Big Mac's hand even tighter.

"We will, ma'am." _If we can find him,_ he added silently. "I've got to go and call this in, get a task force together. Will you be all right here until we have him in custody?"

She nodded. "I've been safe here so far, I don't see why that would suddenly change."

"I'll post an officer outside the house, just in case. If he realizes we're closing in on him, it may make him desperate. Don't go anywhere alone, if you can help it." He stood and Big Mac followed suit, showing him to the front door.

"Ya'll will let us know when you catch him?" he asked when they reached the door. Shield could hear the underlying fear in his voice.

"I'll let you know what I can, when I can. Take care." With that cryptic response, Shield turned and jogged down the front steps.

When Big Mac turned around, he saw Rarity shoving her arms into her coat.

"Where do you think yer goin', sugar?" he asked, though he had a feeling he already knew.

"She's going to be devastated when she finds out, Mac. I should be there for her, as her friend." As she was talking, she continued to gather up her things to leave.

"Rarity, no. You need to stay here, where you're safe." He kept his voice as steady as was possible with his heart banging away in his chest.

She stopped and turned on him, glaring. "Big Macintosh. If you think I'm going to sit here and do nothing while my best friend gets news that will destroy the life she's built, you obviously don't know a thing about the woman you've just agreed to marry. Now, you can either come with me and 'keep me safe', or you can get the hell out of my way."

Suppressing the urge to roll his eyes, Big Mac simply said, "I'll get my coat."

Within five minutes, they were making their way up the road from the farm into Ponyville. Just as they reached the gate, there was a loud crack from the woods beside them and Big Mac stumbled, then fell to the ground. At first, Rarity's mind couldn't process what had just happened as she knelt beside his unconscious form. "Mac?" she whispered tremulously, giving him a gentle shake. "Please, please, no. Mac, wake up, please wake up."

The sound of running hooves reached her ears and her head snapped up just in time to see a black carriage pull up in front of the gate. Then she was up and running, running towards the trees. She could lose him in the forest, if she could just make it a few -

He slammed into her and she hit the ground at full speed with a sickening crunch. The searing pain in her arm told her that something was broken. The body pinning her to the ground told her that a broken arm was the least of her worries. Then there was something, a cloth, covering her face and a sweet smell and then the world went black.

* * *

><p>When she came to, the first thing she noticed was the sensation of cold concrete against bare skin. It took a moment for it to register that she was naked. Naked, and chained to a wall in what appeared to be a basement.<p>

"Good, you're awake." She heard the voice before she saw him. He stepped out of the shadows and knelt in front of her. "So beautiful," he murmured, reaching out a hand to stroke her face. Instinctively, she recoiled from his touch. He gripped her chin, forcing her to look at him. "You could have been the one. You were everything I wanted in a woman. Too bad you're a whore, just like the rest of them." He released her with a small shove, knocking her head back into the concrete wall and returned to the shadows.

"Why," her voice cracked. "Why are you doing this?"

"I just told you. Because you're a whore." His voice took on the cadence of one explaining a problem to a small child. "And whores," he emerged again, lighting a cigar, "have to be punished."

He knelt in front of her again and she screamed as he pressed the lit end of the cigar into her flesh.

* * *

><p>"Big Mac? Big Mac, wake up. Oh, Celestia, please wake up!" AJ's frantic pleading reached him as he surfaced. Then the pain hit him and he groaned, squeezing his eyes tight against the onslaught.<p>

"Oh, thank Luna!" she was weeping now. "The paramedics are on their way, jus' hang in there, all right, big brother? Yer gonna be fine, jus' hang in there, ok?"

"What...what..." he couldn't speak through the pain.

"You've been shot. Somebody shot ya," she explained, grasping his hand tightly.

"Rarity..."

"Rarity shot ya? Why in the name of Celestia would she shoot ya for?"

"No. Where...where is she?"

AJ froze. "Was she here? Where were ya'll headed?"

"Library...tell...Shield. He took her. He took her."

* * *

><p>Twilight sat, staring at the handsome detective sitting across from her. He was telling her some wild story about Opus and a killer. No, Opus was the killer in this strange story the detective was telling her.<p>

"Miss Sparkle, I understand this is a lot to take in," he said soothingly. "But I need your help. Can you help me?"

She shook her head. "I...I don't understand what you're asking, detective. You're sitting here, in my home, accusing the man I love of trying to murder one of my closest friends. You want what, from me, exactly?"

Frustrated, he started to explain again when his phone rang. "Excuse me for a moment, ma'am." Not recognizing the number, he moved to the far corner of the room and answered. "Shield." He paused, listening intently. "What? You're sure? No, I'm here with her right now, I'll try. Just stay with him and keep me updated on his progress." Closing the phone, he returned to his seat.

"Miss Sparkle, Big Macintosh has been shot. And your friend Rarity is missing. I need you to help me, to tell me anything you can that might help me find her before it's too late."

Twilight's eyes had gone wide and her caramel skin had paled considerably. "You're wrong," she whispered, hugging herself. "Wrong, wrong, wrong," she chanted the mantra over and over, rocking gently back and forth on the couch.


	15. Chapter 15

Shield was getting nowhere fast. Twilight appeared to be in shock, rocking and hugging herself on the couch. Big Mac was on his way to the hospital in Celestia only knew what kind of condition, and Rarity had been abducted. To top it all off, he had no idea where to even _begin_ to look for her. Just as he was about to give up and search elsewhere for help, the door to the library flew open, revealing a tall woman with fluffy pink hair. He recognized her from the hospital...Pinkie Pie, if he remembered correctly.

She spared him a brief glance before rushing over to sit by Twilight.

"Twilight, honey, I need you to listen to me," she began, panic in her voice.

Twilight shook her head. "Lies, he's lying. He has to be lying." The desperation in her voice had Shield wondering who she was trying to convince more: herself or everyone else.

"Who's lying? Wait, not important, focus Pinkie." She shook her head sharply. "Twilight, I've got the shakes."

_The shakes? What the hell...?_

The librarian's head snapped up, horror in her eyes. "The shakes? A doozy?"

Pinkie nodded. "A doozy. It's Rarity...someone's hurting her. I keep getting the shakes and then there's a burning sensation. Twilight, I think he's killing her," Pinkie's voice had taken on a pleading tone. "I don't know who 'he' is but I know you can help, that's why I'm here."

Shield had been watching the exchange with a strange fascination, but the last bit had caught his attention. "What are you talking about?" he demanded.

Pinkie shook her head. "No time to explain. I just...know things. You have to trust me." She turned back to Twilight. "She's your friend, Twilight. Whatever else happens, Rarity is your friend and she needs you."

That seemed to do the trick. Twilight took a deep breath and lifted her head to face Detective Shield. "I'll take you there."

* * *

><p>"AJ!" Apple Jack looked around at the sound of her name and saw Dash and Fluttershy rushing towards her.<p>

"What happened? How is he? It sounded like you said someone shot him, but that can't be right," Dash said in a breathless rush.

"It's right. They don'...he didn't look good. I can't...I can't," she collapsed into a chair, sobbing. Dash and Fluttershy immediately flanked her, wrapping their arms around her.

"What will I do?" she asked of no one in particular. "Celestia _dammit_," she shouted, jumping up from the chair and rounding on her friends, startling them with her sudden anger. "Haven't I lost enough? Hasn't Apple Bloom? I hope they kill him. I hope they drive a stake through the bastard's heart," she seethed.

"AJ..." Dash began, but the right words wouldn't come. It suddenly occurred to her that someone was missing. "AJ, where's Rarity?"

* * *

><p>He was impressed. She was much stronger than the other brides. By now, the rest of them had been begging with him, pleading for him to kill them. Making promises he knew they wouldn't keep because they'd already shown him how unworthy they were. But her...she hadn't done any of those things. Oh, she'd screamed of course, especially so at first. But she hadn't begged, hadn't tried to win him over with sweet words and false promises.<p>

He knelt in front of her, studying her. Her right eye was swollen and bloody - a reminder of a moment of weakness when he'd lost his temper. Dozens of shallow cuts and burn marks marred her milky white skin. Over the years he'd learned which areas of the body were the most responsive to stimuli and he'd used that knowledge extensively this evening. And yet, she was still glaring at him defiantly out of her uninjured eye.

"You're much more resilient than the others." He twirled a newly lit cigar as he spoke and had the satisfaction of seeing a flash of fear in her eyes as she watched it. "I'm considering giving you a second chance. After all, we're all worthy of forgiveness, no?"

She spat in his face. Literally. "Fuck you." Figuratively.

Finding a towel, he wiped his face clean. "You're going to regret that."

* * *

><p>Pinkie was shaking again. Shield could see her from the corner of his eye. They'd been occurring about once every five minutes or so, usually followed by a hiss of pain. This time, however, the shakes were followed by a loud gasp as she doubled over at the waist.<p>

"What is it? Is she ok? Are you ok?" he asked, daring to take his eyes off the road for a moment to make sure she wasn't injured.

"Her ribs...I think he broke a rib. Hurry, for the love of Celestia and Luna, please hurry."

Turning back to the road, he urged the horses on faster.

* * *

><p>"Oh, Celestia," Rainbow Dash whispered, her eyes wide. AJ had finally calmed down enough to tell them what had happened, at least to the best of her knowledge. How she'd heard the shot and gone to investigate, only to find Big Mac unconscious by the gate. That when he'd woken, he'd managed to tell her that Rarity was gone – and who would have taken her.<p>

"I jus' don' understand how Twi didn't know," AJ snapped as she finished her explanation. "I mean, how does a body get that close to someone an' not know somethin' as huge as this?" Her eyes narrowed. "Maybe she was in on it, ya know? I've heard 'bout things like that, husband and wife teams kidnappin' women an -" She was cut off by Dash's arms coming around her neck, squeezing tightly.

"No, no, never." Dash pulled away, looking her in the eyes. "You know that's not true. We all know Twilight better than anyone and she wouldn't - couldn't be a part of this. She's going to need us as much as we'll need each other when this is over."

AJ nodded slowly, her eyes filling with tears once more. "I know that...I just..."

"Shhh, it's ok." Dash hugged her again, and AJ clung to her, sobbing into her neck.

"I can't lose him, Dashie," she whispered, her voice tired and hoarse. "I just can't."

Just then, the doors to the waiting area opened and a voiced called out. "Apple family?"

* * *

><p>"There! Turn there!" Twilight cried, pointing to a gravel driveway almost completely hidden by bushes. Shield slowed and took the turn gently, making as little noise as possible. Spotting the cabin farther up the way, he pulled on the reins, stopping the carriage.<p>

He turned to his companions. "You two, stay here." He pressed his phone into Pinkie's hand. "If I'm not back in fifteen minutes, call speed dial 2 and ask to speak to Captain Shield. Give him the best directions you can to our location and then get out of here. Do it!" he ordered sharply when she started to protest. "Can you see anything about where they might be? Narrow it down for me a bit?"

"I – I'm not sure. That's not usually how this works. This is the first time I've gotten anything this detailed." She was trembling, though whether it was from the onset of another premonition or sheer nerves, he wasn't sure. Now that he thought about it, she hadn't gotten the shakes in about a half an hour or so. He forced himself not to think about what that might mean.

"Please, just try," he urged. He'd go in blind if he had to, but the more information he had at his disposal, the more likely he was to get Rarity – and himself – out of there alive.

"Ok," she closed her eyes. Whimpering, she wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing her arms as though for warmth. "Cold...she's cold. And...rough. I feel cold and rough."

"Like concrete?"

Her eyes sprang open. "Yes, like concrete."

He knew where to find them.

* * *

><p>Opus could tell she was nearing her breaking point. She'd stopped screaming about an hour ago and she seemed fixated on a spot on the wall behind him. He knew she was still in there, but she'd retreated from him. So he'd given her a break, time to catch her breath and come back to him. After all, there was no point if she wasn't fully present to appreciate her punishment.<p>

She blinked and her eyes shifted from the imaginary spot on the wall. He knelt once more so that he was in her line of sight. "Welcome back, my love. Are you ready to continue?" She whimpered and closed her eyes. "I'll take that as a yes." He moved to stand and suddenly felt the cold steel of a gun pressed against the back of his head.

"Stay down," a harsh voice ordered from behind him. He froze. "On your knees and drop the knife." He didn't move. "I said, on your knees and _drop the fucking knife_!" The gun pressed harder against his skull.

Slowly, he raised the hand holding the knife, balancing it carefully for his assailant to see. Just as he was about to drop the weapon, she groaned and he sensed his attacker's momentary distraction. Gripping the knife again, he spun and lashed out, pleased when he felt the knife meet flesh. The assailant fell to the ground and then he was up, up and running. He reached the bottom of the stairs before the gunshot sounded and he was felled by the white-hot pain in his left knee. The knife clattered to the floor, just out of his reach. As he reached for it, a boot came down hard on his wrist and he screamed in pain.

"Yea, how's it feel, you son-of-a-bitch? How's it feel to have someone break your bones?" Shield knelt, ignoring the stinging pain in his side. "Under the authority of Princesses Celestia and Luna, you are hereby under arrest." He yanked Opus' arms behind him, perhaps with a bit more force than was necessary. Ensuring that the maniac was secure, he rushed to Rarity's side. She was unconscious but breathing and her pulse was steady. Fighting back the horror and rage welling up inside of him, he took an inventory of her injuries for his report.

An hour later, the cabin was swarming with law enforcement. Rarity had been stabilized and was on her way to the hospital, with Twilight and Pinkie Pie riding along. Physically, she would make a full recovery with only minimal scarring. Mentally and emotionally he feared she would never be quite the same. He'd just gotten a call not five minutes ago from Apple Jack informing him that Big Mac was out of surgery and expected to make a full, if lengthy recovery. The doctor's weren't sure how long he'd be out of commission, but Shield had faith that he'd surprise them all.

It hadn't taken long to get a confession out of Opus. As soon as the cavalry started arriving, the man had begun screaming at them, ordering them out of his house. When Shield finally got him to calm down, he'd begun rambling on about his "brides" and how he'd taken them, one by one and each time they'd disappointed him. One bride claimed to love another, one bride couldn't cook worth a damn, another still had the most annoying habit of clearing her throat incessantly.

"I think that's enough for now," Shield decided, gesturing for another officer to come assist him. "Take him to the Yard. Nobody talks to him but me and his lawyer, should he ask for one. Got it?" The younger man nodded and led the still mumbling captive from the building. This was going to be a media nightmare when the story broke and Shield intended to keep it quiet for as long as humanly possible. Deciding to check on Rarity in the morning and get her statement then, he left the crime scene in the capable hands of his technicians and called it a night.

****There is at least one more chapter after this. Quick peek into the author's thought process: Yes, they drive horse-drawn carriages and have cell phones. I thought about giving them cars, but decided it would be considered a snub towards the princesses, since horses were literally a gift from the goddesses themselves. That being so, I didn't see any reason why other technology couldn't advance. So that's that, in case you were wondering :) Or perhaps you didn't notice and now that I've brought it to your attention, it's going to drive you slowly insane. Either way, I'm cool with it :) Stay tuned for the conclusion!****


	16. Chapter 16

She stood at the large window, watching the couple as they made their way slowly around the yard.

It had been two weeks since the nightmare had ended. Rarity had officially been released a few days after her rescue, but had refused to leave Big Mac's side. He had been released just yesterday, and the couple had moved back home. There would be a nurse coming every few days to check his wound and change the bandages, and a physical therapist coming three days a week to help him get his strength back up.

It wasn't really over though, AJ mused. Rarity was having nightmares. She knew because she'd heard her crying out in her sleep last night, and then sobbing for nearly an hour when Big Mac woke her. Twilight had disappeared shortly after the apples hit the fan and not even Spike, her teenaged assistant knew where she'd gone. The rest of them – AJ, Fluttershy, Dash and Pinkie – were left picking up the pieces and helping Rarity and Big Mac put them back together.

There was a sharp rap on the door to the study and AJ turned, her heart leaping to her throat at the sight of the tall, rugged looking man standing in the doorway.

"Miss Apple Jack?" he asked, his voice rough and – she couldn't deny – sexy.

She moved from the window and offered him her hand. He accepted it with his own calloused one in a firm handshake and she swore she saw sparks the second their hands touched. "That's me. You must be Spurs."

He bobbed his head in acknowledgment. "Yes ma'am."

She waved him to the seat in front of the large maple desk, moving to occupy the one behind it herself. It was too big and lumpy for her; it had been her grandfather's, then her father's and now Big Mac was supposed to sit there. She couldn't wait for him to get back to it. She was more comfortable wranglin' horses and climbin' trees than she was balancing books.

"So, the job's pretty straight forward," she began, leaning forward and folding her hands atop the desk. "I jus' need someone for a few months, probably just up through plantin' season while my brother's out o' commission. Pay's fair, room an' board thrown in. I checked out the references y'all dropped off with mah granny the other day. They all had nothin' but good things to say about y'all, so the job's yours iffin' you're interested."

He seemed surprised. "Just like that, ma'am?"

She shrugged and settled back in the chair. "Y'all made a mighty good impression on mah granny and I really need someone who can start as soon as possible," she explained. "If y'all need some time ta think it over, I can give ya a day or so."

The corner of his lip lifted in a cocky smile that nearly had her drooling. "No need, ma'am. I can start this afternoon, if y'all need me to."

She returned the smile. "Tomorrow's good enough. I'll show ya around a bit right now, iffin' ya'll don' mind and we can work the details out tomorrow mornin'. Say seven or so?"

"Sure thing, ma'am."

"One other thing."

"Yes ma'am?"

She grinned, full and wide. "Stop callin' me ma'am. Mah granny's ma'am. Y'all can just call me Apple Jack or AJ."

"All right ma' – er, AJ."

"Good. Now, let's get goin' an' I'll show ya around 'fore it gets dark." She led the way out of the office and through the house to the front yard.

She spent the better part of the afternoon showing him around the farm, explaining the different operations they had set up and the schedules for when things needed to be done. He didn't talk much, but she had the feeling he was listening and absorbing every word she said. There were a few times when his arm brushed hers and she could feel the jolt of electricity at his touch. As a result, by the time he left, her nerves were frazzled. She was tempted to call him up and tell him she'd changed her mind, but she was a woman of her word. She wasn't about to let a little sexual attraction get in the way of doing her job. Even if he was the sexiest man she'd laid eyes on in a while and even if it had been far too long since she'd felt the touch of a man.

Returning to the house, she found Rarity in the kitchen, cooking dinner.

"Y'all didn't have ta do that, sugarcube. I was comin' in ta make somethin'." AJ frowned with concern at her friend.

Rarity simply rolled her eyes and continued cooking. "Nonsense, darling. You were busy with that hunk of a farmhand and I was in here doing nothing. Besides, I feel perfectly fine." She was shown for a liar when she turned too quickly and winced at the pain in her side.

AJ cocked an eyebrow. "Yea, y'all feel jus' peachy, I can see that."

Rarity poked out a dainty tongue in her direction. "Shush. I'm perfectly capable of handling dinner. Speaking of handling..." she wiggled her eyebrows at AJ. "Tell me about the hunk."

Much to her surprise, AJ flushed bright red under her tan. "He's the new farmhand. No 'handling' involved. I'm gonna go wash up." She turned and nearly fled the kitchen, leaving a laughing Rarity behind her.

"Oh, I am so looking forward to his," she said aloud to the empty room.

_**The End.**_


End file.
